2010 Morris Award Finalists

by

The Morris Award winner will be announced’ at ALA’s Midwinter Meeting in Boston on Monday, January 18 from 8-10 p.m. at the Westin Copley Place Essex Center South, along with the winner and finalists for YALSA’s Nonfiction Award.

All six authors of the five finalists were interviewed here at the YALSA blog. Here are the links to the interviews:

Interview with Malinda Lo, author of Ash: “I did outline [Ash],’ and came up with long character questionnaires. At the same time, I was an anthropology graduate student, so I approached worldbuilding from an anthropologist’s perspective. That means I thought about rituals—cultural practices that can mark major changes in one’s life, like birth, marriage, and death.”

Read More →

Interview with Nina LaCour

by

Welcome to the’ final interview in YALSA’s’ series of interviews with the authors who are on’ the 2010 Morris Award Shortlist. Today we’ have Nina LaCour, author of Hold Still. Don’t forget to tune in on Monday, January 18 to the Youth Media Awards to find out who wins the 2010 Morris Award!

holdstill_webThe Morris Award Committee’ on Hold Still:’ â€œAfter Caitlin’s best friend Ingrid commits suicide, Caitlin has a hard time making sense of the loss. She finds Ingrid’s journal and slowly allows herself to read it and learn about why Ingrid felt the need to end her life. Caitlin also grapples with allowing herself to find another friend, to let in a boyfriend, and to understand why her favorite teacher is ignoring her. It is the haunting story of dealing with loss, moving on, and finding peace and hope.”

YALSA Blog: Congratulations on Hold Still being on the Morris Award shortlist! Where were you when you found out you’d been shortlisted for the Morris Award? And who was the first person you told?

Nina LaCour: Thank you so much! It’s such an honor to be recognized with these five incredible authors.’ I was in my apartment when I got the call from Penguin. I was completely shocked and so excited. The first person I called was my wife, Kristyn, who was on her way home from work and sounded even more excited than I felt, if that’s even possible. Later that night I went to a pub for trivia night with Kristyn and my cousin and a couple friends, and the only answer I knew the whole night was the title of a 90s hip-hop song, but I didn’t mind because I was so elated over being shortlisted. Read More →

Interview with L.K. Madigan

by

Welcome to the continuing series of interviews with the authors who are on’ the 2010 Morris Award Shortlist. Today we have L.K. Madigan, author of Flash Burnout.

From the Morris Award Committee description: “Blake’s life is way too complicated. He’s a sophomore in high school with a girlfriend and a friend who is a girl. One of them loves him. One of them needs him. Can he please them both?”

YALSA Blog:’ ‘ Congratulations on Flash Burnout being on the Morris Award shortlist! Where were you when you found out you’d been shortlisted for the Morris Award? And who was the first person you told?

L.K. Madigan: I’m going to let Blake answer this:

“My author was at work. Her editor called with the news, and she screamed. Actually, it wasn’t really a scream. It was more like an ejaculation. Heh.”flashburnout_web Read More →

Interview with Amy Huntley

by

Welcome to the continuing series of interviews with the authors who are on’ the 2010 Morris Award Shortlist. Today we have Amy Huntley, author of’ The Everafter.

theeverafter_webThe Morris Award Committee on The Everafter: “Maddy is a ghost, surrounded by things she lost when she was alive. By touching these objects, she relives the episodes in her life where she lost them. Even though Maddy’s dead, she explores the lessons these objects hold — and why are they still important.”

YALSA Blog: Congratulations on The Everafter being on the Morris Award shortlist!’ Where were you when you found out you’d been shortlisted for the Morris Award? And who was the first person you told?

Amy Huntley: My editor called early in the day and left a message saying she had good news about The Everafter, so I hurried home from school to find out what it could possibly be. I truly had no idea that it would be this!’  I checked my email while trying to call my editor and she had sent an email about the subject in case we had trouble connecting.’  So I was actually sitting on my couch, looking at my laptop screen at the time I learned that I had been shortlisted. Then my phone call to my editor went through and we talked about it. I was ecstatic—on top of surprised! I felt incredibly honored to have been chosen as a Finalist for this award.’  My husband was the first person I told about the news. Followed by…my agent, parents and sister and…the whole rest of the world!’  Read More →

Interview with Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

by

Welcome to the continuing series of interviews with the authors who are on’ the 2010 Morris Award Shortlist. Today we have Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, authors of Beautiful Creatures.

beautifulcreatures_webThe Morris Award Committee on Beautiful Creatures: “Sixteen-year-old Ethan has lived all his life in Gatlin, South Carolina, a town that hasn’t changed much since the Civil War. While coping with the loss of his mother, a father who spends all of his time in his study, and high school, his world turns upside down with the arrival of Lena, a new girl with whom he seems to share a psychic connection. As they grow closer, Ethan discovers that Lena and her family share a dark secret and that she is headed for doom on her sixteenth birthday.”

YALSA Blog: Congratulations on Beautiful Creatures being on the Morris Award shortlist!’ Where were you when you found out you’d been shortlisted for the Morris Award? And who was the first person you told?

Margaret Stohl:’ I was sitting on the curb down the street from my brother’s house, because his actual house gets no cell reception, and Little, Brown – our amazing editors, Julie Scheina and Jen Hunt, along with the dazzling Victoria Stapleton – was trying to call us. We assumed we were in trouble. I think I walked into the house and told my sister-in-law, Ashly. Who said something like, that’s great, get in the car, we’re late for swim team. As you can see, I lead a very glamorous life.

Kami Garcia: I rushed home from my teaching job so I could make the call with Jen, Julie, and Victoria. I shut myself in my bedroom because it’s the only quiet place in my house – although you could still hear my five-year-old son’s pirate music blaring in the background. Read More →

Interview With Malinda Lo

by

Get ready for some bookish fun! The six authors of the five’ books’ on the 2010 Morris Award shortlist have all agreed to be interviewed at the YALSA blog. Once a week, there will be an interview here, leading up to the Big Day: January’ 18, when the’ ‘ Morris Award will be awarded at ALA’s Midwinter Youth Media Awards.

The Morris Award Interview Series starts with Malinda Lo,’ the author of Ash.

Ash by Malinda Lo

Ash by Malinda Lo

The Morris Award Committee on Ash: “Consumed with grief after the’ death of her father, Ash’s only escape from her harsh life and cruel stepmother comes from re-reading the fairy tales that her mother once told her and hoping against hope that the fairies will appear to her. When the fairy Sidhean appears, Ash hopes that he will steal her away to his enchanted world; but when she meets the King’s Huntress, Kaisa, she realizes that staying in her own realm can also lead to beauty, romance, and perhaps even love.”

YALSA Blog: Congratulations on being on the shortlist for the Morris Award! Where were you when you found out you’d been shortlisted for the Morris Award? And who was the first person you told?

Malinda Lo:’ I was at home, about to take my dog for a walk, when the phone rang. I’m so glad I answered it! I was totally shocked when I heard. I think my first words were, “No way!” The first person I told was my partner, Amy. Read More →

But Can I Catalog It?

by

A question came up on a library listserv I lurk at, asking about library policies and procedures on cataloging and circulating ARCs, and whether there were prohibitions. It’s a question I see asked every now and then, on listservs, blogs, or casual conversation.

I wonder — is there any other area’  that is so clear cut, yet so often ignored? Information about an ARC is’ on the ARC itself.

An “ARC”, often called a “Galley”, is an “advance review copy”. Briefly, it’s a bound paperback advance version of a book, printed by publishers to distribute to booksellers, librarians, and reviewers, to create buzz, reviews, and sales. It is not the final version of the book. Read More →

Flygirl

by

Flygirl by Sherri L. Smith. Putnam. 2009.

December 1941. Eighteen year old Ida Mae Jones is cleaning houses, saving to go to Chicago to pursue her dream of flying. She’s black; but that’s not why the local instructor in Louisiana won’t pass her and give her a pilot’s license. It’s because she’s a woman. The flight school in Chicago will give her’ what she wants — a chance. Pearl Harbor changes everything. Her older brother, Thomas, drops out of medical school to join the Army and asks her to stay home to help their mother and grandfather on the farm and to look after their younger brother, Abel. Read More →