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https://wendymass.com/books/11-birthdays/overview/

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On their first birthday, they learned to walk. On their fifth, they planted seeds in handmade pots. On their tenth, they learned there are some words you can never take back.

Amanda's eleventh birthday should have been a happy occasion. Instead she's dressed in an itchy costume her mother picked out for her Hollywood-themed party (Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, even though the flying monkeys have always creeped her out). Meanwhile, across town, her ex-best friend Leo is celebrating their joint birthday with a huge bash including a hypnotist, a football star, a giant iguana, and a rock band. SO not fair!

Amanda can't wait for the day AFTER her birthday so she can stop thinking about the fight that led to her and Leo having separate parties for the first time in their lives. There's just one problem. The next day is her birthday all over again.

To hear some behind the scenes info on how 11 Birthday's was written, along with a short reading, visit teachingbooks.net.

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On their first birthday, they learned to walk. On their fifth, they planted seeds in handmade pots. On their tenth, they learned there are some words you can never take back. Amanda's eleventh birthday should have been a happy occasion. Instead she's dressed in an itchy costume her mother picked out for her Hollywood-themed party [...]

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https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=4605&a=1

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Wendy Mass introduces and shares some of the backstory for creating 11 Birthdays.

This Meet-the-Author Recording with Wendy Mass was exclusively created in July 2010 by TeachingBooks with thanks to Scholastic.

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TeachingBooks Book Reading | 11 Birthdays

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Wendy Mass introduces and shares some of the backstory for creating 11 Birthdays. This Meet-the-Author Recording with Wendy Mass was exclusively created in July 2010 by TeachingBooks with thanks to Scholastic.

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The sniper’s bullet nearly killed him. But Alex Rider managed to survive . . . just in time for more trouble to come his way. When kidnappers attempt to snatch a fellow patient from the exclusive hospital where Alex is recovering, he knows he has to stop him. But the boy he saves is no ordinary patient: He is the son of Nikolai Drevin, one of the richest men in the world. The eccentric billionaire has been targeted by Force Three, a group of eco-terrorists who claim his project Ark Angel—the first luxury hotel in outer space—is a danger to the environment. Soon Alex discovers that Force Three will stop at nothing to destroy Ark Angel, even if it means sending four hundred tons of molten glass and steel hurtling down to Earth and killing millions . . . unless Alex can stop them.

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https://anthonyhorowitz.com/

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I couldn't stop myself. When I was at the Oxford Literary Festival, I let slip the title of number five in the Hawthorne series...much to the dismay of my editors and publicists at Penguin Random House. Sorry, guys! So here it is - officially announced, along with a few details only available...

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I couldn't stop myself. When I was at the Oxford Literary Festival, I let slip the title of number five in the Hawthorne series...much to the dismay of my editors and publicists at Penguin Random House. Sorry, guys! So here it is - officially announced, along with a few details only available...

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http://www.alexgino.com/2021/07/melissas-story-and-sharpie-activism/

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Edit Oct. 28 2021: Hurray! My publisher, Scholastic, is officially changing the title to Melissa! Read more about the change in this Publisher's Weekly article as well as my thoughts at the On Our Minds Scholastic blog. And download a new printable cover here or fill out this form for a sticker. You can also still, of course, engage in #SharpieActivism and fix your own cover.

I made a mistake when I named my first published middle grade novel. A big mistake. I used a name for my main character that she doesn't like for herself (i.e. George, the title of the book) instead of her actual name. My main character's name is Melissa, and I apologize to her, to the larger trans community, and to all of my readers for the error. I'm sorry.

She is not real, so I can't hurt her feelings, but the title of my book makes it seem as though it is ever okay to use an old name for a person when they have provided you with a different name that works better for them. I want to be clear - it isn't.

I know. The cover is beautiful. Iconic, even. But here's the thing: so many transgender people have been told that we are beautiful/handsome as a reason not to transition, myself included. We are told that we will mar something special, as though looking pleasant to others is more important than being ourselves. As if it's not more important than seeing who's really there, scars and all.

Within the story, I think the disconnect between the name George and the pronoun she is a valuable literary technique and reflects the tension many trans people feel, especially before coming out to others. There's a purpose to it, though it's still a questionable choice for an omniscient narrator. But on the cover? It is an unequivocal error. Using a person's name is a basic form of respect, and I failed my main character.

There are literally tens of thousands of people who have heard of my book but haven't read it, and for whom George is the only name they have for Melissa. People who have gotten yet another cue, this time from a nonbinary writer who advocates for LGBTQIAP+ youth of all places, that a trans girl "starts out as a boy".

And yes, I know, there are a few women named George and Georgie out there, (looking at you, Charlotte Ritchie's character in Feel Good). But the quirkiness of the name for women works precisely because the name is coded male, and for Melissa, the name is a reminder of all of that coding. Hearing yourself called by the wrong name can feel invalidating. Hearing yourself called by a name associated with a painfully ill-fitting identity that has been thrust upon you? Yuck.

So, how did I make such a giant, bumbling error? Well, here's the explanation. Not as an excuse, but for transparency and to give a little insight on how swiftly culture is shifting with respect to trans youth. As I was writing, I jokingly called my manuscript Girl George. You see, there was a flamboyant singer from the 80s named Boy George, and my title was a play on that. But not only is that not actually very funny, it also doesn't fit my kid/pre-teen demographic.

When I sold the book, my publisher advised that we take the word girl off the cover. And while many of the details of that time are lost to a flurry of excitement and disbelief, I remember that moment, and how the idea raised the hairs on my feminist neck. You're going to do what to the word girl? But then my editor pointed out that the word girl was a barrier to access because there would be some people who wouldn't give the book to a boy if it had the word girl on it. Note that the concern wasn't just that boys would self-censor, but that adult gatekeepers wouldn't give boys a chance to make that decision in the first place. Aha, I thought, s neaky feminism. My favorite!

I didn't really think about it much after that. I was still pretty stunned that my book was going to be published at all, and didn't quite understand where my creative rights as an author ended and the sales goals of the publisher began. To be honest, I still don't, but then, I didn't even know to push. I was too swept up in being surprised and grateful to recognize my responsibility.

It's also worth mentioning the rapid shift in much of culture with respect to trans people, especially trans/gender non-conforming youth. I started writing Melissa's Story in 2003, back when the idea that a trans kid would be listened to and allowed to be themselves was mostly an impossible dream for most of us. The concept of "deadnaming", or calling a trans person by the name assigned at birth against their wishes, didn't really come into existence until 2012. (Note that this term is itself questionable, since the idea of calling someone's former name/identity "dead" isn't actually all that great for all of us.) I made endless changes to the book to reflect changes in culture, but like missing the forest for the trees, I didn't see the damage inherent in the title, whether or not "girl" was included.

I wish I had realized to speak up then, and I wish I could change it now. But it's not mine to change anymore. Yes, publishers correct mistakes in new printings of books all the time. But when the mistake is the title, it's harder to get the change made, especially if the book is successful.

So what do I do now? What do we do now? Well, maybe we'll hit a cultural tipping point where the social outdatedness of calling a trans girl by her name assigned at birth makes the need for the change obvious. I'm not actually that hopeful of that, but also, I never expected to see gender-neutral bathrooms in elementary schools, and yet, here we are.

Which leads me to the tweet I made last week:

Yes, the cover is beautiful. Part of trans justice is to accept that your sense of "beauty" doesn't matter if someone need to change their appearance to be themself. The picture is of me at a recent, outdoor event changing the cover of someone's book before signing it. The text r eads: "Just a reminder that you officially have my permission to correct your copy of Melissa's Story. #SharpieActivism "

And that's where I'm at now. I can't change the system, but I can change my actions. I can't change every cover, but I can change mine. And you can change yours too. (Note: I can only endorse fixing copies you own.)

So maybe part of the process of reading Melissa's Story (for now, at least) is to get to the end and fix the title yourself. Call it interactive reading. Heck, when you give Melissa's Story as a gift, include a permanent marker.

So fix your copy! Do it up! Creativity is queer! Share a photo of your cover on twitter with the hashtag #SharpieActivism. Other social media too, I guess, but I'm not on those. 🙂 Or email me at alex@alexgino.com with a photo and name you'd like me to use to share yours and I'll post it here. [Note: the gallery is now closed to new entries.]

P.S. Librarian-type folks? The OCLC master has been edited so if you re-download, Melissa's Story should appear as an alternative title.
READER FIXES!!
Thanks to all for your support. This gallery will no longer be updated, now that the title change is official!

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Edit Oct. 28 2021: Hurray! My publisher, Scholastic, is officially changing the title to Melissa! Read more about the change in this Publisher's Weekly article as well as my thoughts at the On Our Minds Scholastic blog. And download a new printable cover here or fill out this form for a sticker.

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https://youtu.be/kvk9pgm2A1A

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Book Explorers Interview with Author Alex Gino: When a Book Title Isn't Right, Fix It!

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Nine year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution or the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country.
All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas.
Bruno’s friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation. And in exploring what he is unwittingly a part of, he will inevitably become subsumed by the terrible process.

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Narrator: An anonymous narrator tells the story and refers to the characters using third-person pronouns like “he” and “she.”

Point Of View: The novel has a childlike point of view. The narrator has access to the thoughts and feelings of the novel’s protagonist, Bruno, and his perspective dominates the tale. As a nine-year-old boy, Bruno frequently misunderstands the adult world around him. For instance, he doesn’t comprehend the nature or purpose of the concentration camp over which his father presides. He also mishears the camp’s name, misunderstanding “Auschwitz” as “Out-With.”

Tone: Fable-like yet foreboding. As a young child, Bruno understands little of what’s going on around him. Because of this, the novel has a fable-like tone in which Bruno sees everything as an adventure. Yet, as Bruno slowly learns more about the desolate realities of the camp, the tone of the novel grows increasingly foreboding.

Tense: Past

Setting (Time):  1943

Setting (Place): Berlin, Germany, and the Auschwitz concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Protagonist: Bruno, a nine-year-old German boy.

Major Conflict: The novel’s major conflict arises when Bruno’s family is forced to move from their home in Berlin to a desolate place in Poland. Isolated, friendless, and far away from the familiar comforts of home, Bruno rails against the injustice of his situation. He also feels confused about the people in the striped pajamas he can see from his bedroom window, living on the other side of a tall fence.
Rising Action: Bruno adjusts to his new life in Poland and slowly learns more about “Out-With” Camp, for which his father serves as commandant. Bruno grows to detest the cruelty and patronizing behavior of German soldiers like Lieutenant Kotler, and he develops empathy for those with less power, including his family’s housekeeper, Maria, and a Jewish prisoner named Pavel, who helps prepare and serve the dinner meal. Bruno also befriends Shmuel, a boy from the other side of the fence whom he meets one day while out exploring. The two boys meet frequently and tell each other their life stories. They finally make a plan to disguise Bruno in striped pajamas and search together for Shmuel’s missing father.

Themes: Self-Honesty; The Guilt Caused by Silence; The Power of Friendship

Motifs: Doubling; the great wrongs of history; adventure stories

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Twelve-year-old Catherine just wants a normal life. Which is near impossible when you have a brother with autism and a family that revolves around his disability. She's spent years trying to teach David the rules - from "a peach is not a funny-looking apple" to "keep your pants on in public" - in order to stop his embarrassing behaviors. But the summer Catherine meets Jason, a paraplegic boy, and Kristi, the next-door friend she's always wished for, it's her own shocking behavior that turns everything upside down and forces her to ask: What is normal?

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Mother and Son team : Janet and Jake Tashjian

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Mother and Son team : Janet and Jake Tashjian

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Summer's finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations.But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek's dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he's been labeled a "reluctant reader," his mom has pushed him to read "real" books--something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes.As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself (in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner, complete with curve balls. My Life as a Book is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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Summer's finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations.But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek's dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he's been labeled a "reluctant reader," his mom has pushed him to read "real" books--something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes.As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself (in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner, complete with curve balls. My Life as a Book is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.

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I’m the author of five bestselling middle grade series: Spy School, FunJungle, Charlie Thorne, Moon Base Alpha and The Last Musketeer. I also write for TV and film. Before all that, I studied capybaras, the world’s largest rodents. Really. If you want to write to me, read my FAQ page for details.

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Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations in an epic middle-grade fantasy series from award-winning author David Robertson.

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Genre: Fantasy fiction
Synopsis:
Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home -- until they find a secret place, walled off in an unfinished attic bedroom. A portal opens to another reality, Askí, bringing them onto frozen, barren grounds, where they meet Ochek (Fisher). The only hunter supporting his starving community, Misewa,

Ochek welcomes the human children, teaching them traditional ways to survive. But as the need for food becomes desperate, they embark on a dangerous mission. Accompanied by Arik, a sassy Squirrel they catch stealing from the trapline, they try to save Misewa before the icy grip of winter freezes everything -- including them.

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The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson | The Misewa Saga | Behind the Book | Author Interview

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The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson

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In this high-interest accessible novel for middle readers, Shivani is horrified when her mother volunteers to cook traditional Indian food for her school's annual fundraiser.

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Embrace The Chicken " Mahtab Narsimhan

Embrace The Chicken

Chapter 1
Shivani played with her curry and rice. Usually she couldn't resist the chicken drumsticks melting off the bone into the thick gravy. Or the sweet-spicy smell of coconut milk and garam masala. But today she could barely eat a mouthful.
Why was life so complicated? It had been hard enough leaving Mumbai, her apartment and all her friends. It had taken months to find her way around here, to stop feeling like an outsider. She finally had a best friend. And now this.
She might as well get it over with. Even before she asked the question, she knew Papa's answer. Let me be wrong this once, she prayed.
"Matter what, Shivani?" Ma asked, in her usual broken English. Shivani took a deep breath and put down her fork. Her parents were both staring at her. Only Anita continued eating, without a care in the world. Moving to Canada, making new friends in a new town, getting used to a whole different lifestyle. Nothing seemed to bother her younger sister.
Shivani avoided looking at Ma as she spoke. "We have a school meeting tomorrow night. At eight. It's about a fundraiser. We're supposed to bring a parent. You'll come, won't you, Papa?"

Pages: 1 2 3

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Embrace The Chicken " Mahtab Narsimhan Chapter 1 Shivani played with her curry and rice. Usually she couldn't resist the chicken drumsticks melting off the bone into the thick gravy. Or the sweet-spicy smell of coconut milk and garam masala. But today she could barely eat a mouthful.

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Shivani only left Mumbai a few months ago.

But she isn't feeling like such an outsider anymore. She likes her new school and she finally has a best friend. But when her mother volunteers for the school's annual fundraiser, Shivani is sure she will completely embarrass her. Especially if she cooks one of the "stinky" dishes that Shivani loves but is too ashamed to eat in front of her friends.

On the day of the fair, the moment Shivani walks into the gym, she knows her worst fears have come true: the unmistakable scent of Indian spices is in the air. But then she sees that dozens of people are lined up at her mom's stall. It's the most popular one!

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Brave is a brilliantly beautiful work about surviving middle school, one day at a time.  Through the eyes of Jensen, a video game-loving boy who dreams of working for NASA, it explores what it means to try to find a place where you belong, when you do not realize you don’t belong in the first place.  Funny, sensitive, and thought-provoking, Brave is the kind of book that will break your heart.Jensen is bullied at school–by the two school bullies, yes–but also by his so-called friends.  Even though he sees art club as his safe space, a place he can work on what he loves, the others in the group are not very kind.  They make fun of his obsession with sunspots, “forget” to include him in projects, and exclude him from their lunch table.  Still, Jensen does not see himself as a victim. He’s not that kid.Jensen’s journey of self-discovery is part of what makes this book so special. It focuses, not only on the obvious signs of bullying, like slamming someone into a locker, but also on the little things that add up day by day, making someone feel unwanted and unloved.  Jensen transforms from a happy-go-lucky kid, just trying to survive one day of middle school at a time, to a kid who wonders if his life matters at all.  Ultimately, however, he realizes that he can help break the cycle of bullying, both by getting help, and by inspiring others to choose kindness.Brave does not, however, only focus on the actions of children, but also boldly calls out media influences that glorify bullying and mean behavior.  In a scene that I interpreted as a reference to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jensen goes to the library to check out a wildly popular book beloved by his friends; the author has been invited for a Skype visit by his school.  Jensen is shocked to discover that the book features a main character who is mean to others–a character who is a bully.  The book is supposed to be funny, but Jensen, a victim of bullying himself, cannot find the humor. In this moment, I wanted to applaud Svetlana Chmakova for championing books that promote kindness and inclusion, rather than humor at the expense of others.Brave is a heartfelt depiction of one boy’s quest to survive middle school.  It depicts his story with empathy and warmth, inspiring readers to remember that everyone one is important, and that kindness matters.  A must-have for any library or middle-school classroom.

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Brave is a brilliantly beautiful work about surviving middle school, one day at a time.  Through the eyes of Jensen, a video game-loving boy who dreams of working for NASA, it explores what it means to try to find a place where you belong, when you do not realize you don’t belong in the first place.  Funny, sensitive, and thought-provoking, Brave is the kind of book that will break your heart.Jensen is bullied at school–by the two school bullies, yes–but also by his so-called friends.  Even though he sees art club as his safe space, a place he can work on what he loves, the others in the group are not very kind.  They make fun of his obsession with sunspots, “forget” to include him in projects, and exclude him from their lunch table.  Still, Jensen does not see himself as a victim. He’s not that kid.Jensen’s journey of self-discovery is part of what makes this book so special. It focuses, not only on the obvious signs of bullying, like slamming someone into a locker, but also on the little things that add up day by day, making someone feel unwanted and unloved.  Jensen transforms from a happy-go-lucky kid, just trying to survive one day of middle school at a time, to a kid who wonders if his life matters at all.  Ultimately, however, he realizes that he can help break the cycle of bullying, both by getting help, and by inspiring others to choose kindness.Brave does not, however, only focus on the actions of children, but also boldly calls out media influences that glorify bullying and mean behavior.  In a scene that I interpreted as a reference to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jensen goes to the library to check out a wildly popular book beloved by his friends; the author has been invited for a Skype visit by his school.  Jensen is shocked to discover that the book features a main character who is mean to others–a character who is a bully.  The book is supposed to be funny, but Jensen, a victim of bullying himself, cannot find the humor. In this moment, I wanted to applaud Svetlana Chmakova for championing books that promote kindness and inclusion, rather than humor at the expense of others.Brave is a heartfelt depiction of one boy’s quest to survive middle school.  It depicts his story with empathy and warmth, inspiring readers to remember that everyone one is important, and that kindness matters.  A must-have for any library or middle-school classroom.