May B. by Caroline Starr Rose

1/10/12
May B. | Caroline Starr Rose
Schwartz & Wade
Hardcover/240pp.

I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.
May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

I’m a huge fan of novels in verse, but, surprisingly, I’d never read a middle grade novel in verse. That is, until Caroline Starr Rose’s MAY B. came around.

MAY B. is a historical novel, featuring May, a girl with a strong will to survive. Her voice is very mature, and though sometimes it does appear too mature, it hooks you in. I really, really admired May, and I cheered her on from the very first couple of pages.

The setting is rich, too. We get a real good sense of setting—of growing up alone in Kansas. I felt like I was right there, right next to May during that brutal Kansas winter, and I was freezing.

If you want a quick, deep read, try Caroline Starr Rose’s heartfelt debut.

Interview with Alecia Whitaker

Today I present you Alecia Whitaker, author of THE QUEEN OF KENTUCKY. Alecia is a Kentucky native, so I’m super excited to be hosting her on Naughty Kitties. THE QUEEN OF KENTUCKY is an absolutely fantastic novel, and I can’t wait for you guys to read it.

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Alecia Whitaker grew up with a big imagination on a small farm in Kentucky, which was worlds away from where she currently resides in fast-paced New York City. She knows more about cows, tobacco, frog gigging, and carpentry than the average girl, and she applies the work ethic and common sense she learned from her southern upbringing to the way she now navigates her career and family life in the big city. The Queen of Kentucky is her first novel.

1. You grew up in Cynthiana, KY and now live in New York City. What, if anything, do you miss most about your hometown? What do you miss least?
I miss my grandparents and my high school friends more than anything. It's so nice going back and knowing that I'll bump into someone I know around town. There are people that live in that town who have supported me and wished me well with every single endeavor I've attempted, so the relationships I made growing up are priceless. (I also miss Leono's pizza, which says a lot considering that New York pizza has a pretty solid reputation of its own.)

What do I miss least? I don't miss the fact that a few stores and restaurants around town still allow smoking, (or at least they did last time I was back home).

2. Was THE QUEEN OF KENTUCKY any easier to write because you know the setting so well?
Definitely! When people who have read the advanced copy ask me if it's based on me or if the things that happened to Ricki Jo happened to me, I remind them that it's fiction. That said, the setting is so rich because I can close my eyes and picture my childhood. I see the creek on my uncle's farm where we used to watch crawdaddies scurry around backward on the bottom. I hear the kids screaming on bus 30 after school as we bumped through the countryside headed home. And I smell the thick scent of tobacco curing in the barn and feel the sticky residue it left between my fingers. I love that back home feeling so much that I had to give rural communities a protagonist that wasn't backward or redneck, but that was a normal, fun teenager going through the same stuff suburban or big city kids go through.

3. If there’s anything you and Ricki Jo, the protagonist in THE QUEEN OF KENTUCKY, have in common, what is it?
When I was Ricki Jo's age, I was built exactly like her. My growth spurt came laaaaaaate. I know what it's like to watch other girls "develop" (for lack of a better term) all through middle school and be left wondering if I had a prayer at shopping at Victoria's Secret one day. Puberty is brutal. Can we all just agree on that?

4. In THE QUEEN OF KENTUCKY, Ricki Jo tries really hard to fit in at her new school, and sometimes she becomes so desperate it affects her relationship with her best friend/boy next door, Luke. It’s quite sad, but I also felt sympathy for Ricki Jo—we’ve all been in her shoes (or, in her case, cowboy boots) before. If you could offer any advice to girls like Ricki Jo—girls that try so hard to fit in that it comes at the price of important components of their lives—what would it be?
I would grab Ricki Jo, or girls feeling that same sense of desperation, by the shoulders and face them toward a mirror. I would ask them to name three things that they see that they like. I would tell them to love those things and love themselves – spend at least as much time appraising themselves as they do picking themselves apart. But moreover, I would tell them that high school is not nearly as big a deal as it seems. That you will only stay in touch with a handful of your "friends" and that you will be surprised at what you see at your high school reunion. Hang in there!

5. What sorts of books can we expect from you in the future? Do you think you might stray away from the small-town setting, or keep at it?
Well, the book I'm working on right now takes place in Lexington, KY. I love bringing positive attention to a place in this world that I truly love and that's my home state. But I will say that the setting isn't nearly as important in this next one.

6. What are some of your favorite current YA titles?
Well, like most people I know, I devoured The Hunger Games trilogy and will definitely be at that movie on opening weekend. But I also loved Tighter by Adele Griffin and was gripped til the end. My new friend Jen E. Smith has a book coming out from the same publisher on the same day as me called The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight and I adore both the story and the novelist.

7. What’s the best thing about being a published author?
Having a dream realized.

Interview with KM Walton

As part of her blog tour, author KM Walton is answering five questions about her novel, CRACKED. I haven’t gotten the chance to dig in, but I am so excited to read it! I hope you enjoy the interview…


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K.M. Walton writes contemporary YA, middle grade suspense, picture books and nonfiction. Her debut contemporary YA novel, CRACKED comes out from Simon Pulse ~ Simon & Schuster January 3, 2012. She is fortunate to be represented by the lovely Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown Ltd.


1) Your debut novel, CRACKED, is about a boy and his bully. What compelled you to tackle that subject? How has bullying affected you?
Anti-bullying was always the core principal of my teaching career. I never shied away from facing or addressing bullying – I believed it was my job, as the adult, to discuss and address bullying – every single time it reared its hideous head. My entire purpose was that I wanted kids to see each other for the human beings they were, not the labels or assumptions they attached to each other. CRACKED was a natural write for me because of my passion for the subject.

2) The bully in CRACKED isn't portrayed as some one-sided, evil-to-the-core mean teenager. How important was it to you to show the emotional depth of Bull, to show that bullies are victims, too?
I’ll refer again to my time teaching middle school. Every bully I encountered had a backstory, a reason for their anger and aggression. Human beings don’t torture or hate by accident—something has to fuel the bullying. I wanted Bull’s horrendous actions to have a source and a reason and not be read as “Oh he’s just the mean teenager. That’s why he bullies. He’s mean.” Human beings are far more complex that that, and Bull was very real to me. So was Victor and his heartbreaking pain. I sincerely hope the reader ends up loving those boys as much as I did while writing them.

3) If you had the chance, what are some of the things that you'd say to teenagers getting bullied? And the bullies themselves, what would you say to them?
During my twelve years in the classroom my eyes and ears were on constant alert for bullying. If I heard or saw or was told about bullying, I addressed it. I brought the victim and the bully together countless times. Some meetings were formal lunch meetings while others were a quick talk in the hallway. My goal was always the same: get each child to see the human being across from them. I wanted the bully to fully understand the pain he/she was causing— to try and understand the tangible effects from their hateful words and actions.
Let me back up though right here. I’d like to clarify that my anti-bullying classroom atmosphere was built from minute-one with my classes. My students knew my stance on it from the moment they entered my room. I also took great and carefully planned steps to build a solid classroom community the first two weeks of school. Curriculum was introduced, but it was always through the lens of community building. I wanted every single student to feel safe and important and part of the community of learners.
I purposefully crafted my language arts units to focus on some type of social action, which made it very easy for me to consistently provide genuine opportunities to discuss and explore—via reading and writing—courage, racism, bullying, etc…. In retrospect, it was that solid classroom community that allowed me to bring the bullies and victims together and have what I coined, “Explicit conversations” about their feelings. If that base of trust wasn’t built, there’s no way in hell I’d have gotten twelve and thirteen year old students—boys especially—to open up and change their hearts.

4) What do you think makes CRACKED different than other books about bullying? What can your novel say to teens that others haven't?
CRACKED definitely isn’t a “I’m going to intentionally try and teach the reader a lesson” kind of book. Truthfully, I find those types of books unsatisfying. I want to come to my own understanding from the story and the characters, not be bonked over the head with an author’s message.
CRACKED lets readers inside both boys’ heads so they can experience each side of bullying. The point of view alternates chapter to chapter. I wanted my characters’ voices to speak to the reader, not mine.
I’d like to think that CRACKED has the potential to get teens talking about bullying—maybe in high school English classes or book clubs. Talking opening about a subject helps break down walls and barriers and misconceptions. Explicit Conversations have the power to let teens see each other as they are, feelings and flaws and all.

5) What bullycide story -- in the news; there've been tons -- has caught your eye the most? What do you think would be a solution to the bullying epidemic?
Every bullycide story breaks my heart because I believe it could’ve been prevented. Bullycide is a failure of the adults surrounding the bullied child…and the bully. Oftentimes it is an unintentional failure. Many adults simply don’t know how to help. They fear they will do or say the wrong thing—make the situation worse. Or the help they do provide is ineffective and fails to make the necessary impact.
While part A of the focus should always be on the victims of bullying, there seems to be a forgotten part B. Dealing with the bully and figuring out a way to break the hate-filled-behaviors is the only way the cycle will end. For good. By dealing I mean getting the bully to identify why they bully and understand, like, in their very soul, that their behaviors have ripped a fellow human being’s heart out.
Until adults (teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, coaches and of course parents) realize bullying can never be ignored or minimalized, it will continue.
Until adults learn how to bring bullies and victims together and conduct Explicit Conversations, in which the bully walks away fully realizing the pain he/she has caused, and the victim walks away with a sense of peace knowing the bully will no longer cause him/her pain, it will continue.
Children, regardless of age, need to be taught that their actions and words can have a profound effect on other children—in both a positive and negative way. Who is responsible for teaching this crucial bit of Humanity 101? Adults. Adults must take the reigns here and lead the way. They must take a stand, reach out, make themselves uncomfortable if need be, step out on the limb and change lives. Actually, save lives.
Brent, I have to say, your questions were deeply thought provoking for me. Answering each question was an experience. It is obvious from these questions that bullying is also close to your heart. I truly appreciate you giving me the venue to share my thoughts on the subject. It was an honor.

ZOMBIE TAG by Hannah Moskowitz

12/20
Zombie Tag | Hannah Moskowitz
Roaring Brook Press
Hardcover/240pp.

Wil is desperate for his older brother to come back from the dead. But the thing about zombies is . . they don’t exactly make the best siblings.
Thirteen-year-old Wil Lowenstein copes with his brother’s death by focusing on Zombie Tag, a mafia/
capture the flag hybrid game where he and his friends fight off brain-eating zombies with their mothers’ spatulas. What Wil doesn’t tell anybody is that if he could bring his dead brother back as a zombie, he would in a heartbeat. But when Wil finds a way to summon all the dead within five miles, he’s surprised to discover that his back-from-the-dead brother is emotionless and distant.
In her first novel for younger readers, Moskowitz offers a funny and heartfelt look at how one boy deals with change, loss, and the complicated relationship between brothers.

You thought Hannah Moskowitz’s YA was good? Wait until you get your hands on her MG debut, ZOMBIE TAG.

I started ZOMBIE TAG expecting a real good story about brothers. The typical Moskowitz book.

But what I got was even better than a typical Moskowitz book (and believe me, typical Moskowitz books are THE F%^$IN S&*%). It was the best Moskowitz book I’d ever read.

First of all, the writing is tight. It’s to-the-point and short and harsh and blow-by-blow and it paints a wildly beautiful picture. Second, the characters are a blast to read. They make you laugh and laugh, but they also tug at your heart. I really did sympathize with Wil—the loss he suffers is written so real. That’s Moskowitz for you. Real.

Also: Moskowitz is THE ONLY WRITER ON THE PLANET that can write a porn magazine into a novel for middle grade readers and make it work. She should be applauded.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DON’T LET ME GO

Today is a very important day.

Today JH Trumble’s DON’T LET ME GO officially hits shelves.

I read this story about two years ago, and it’s one I love a lot. I say it’s one of my favorites, and that’s really, really true—not just because JH is my friend, but because the writing is impeccable and the storyline is flawless. And the characters? You will love them so much it hurts.

It’s about love and acceptance and hurt, but mostly love. I remember sitting down at the kitchen table one night, and opening up a word document, reading the first page, and not being able to stop. That manuscript was flawed and had typos and missing punctuation but oh dear god was it amazing. I couldn’t get past the first ten pages without sending JH emails like, “PAGE TWO! I adore paragraph five.” When I was finished the story, I told JH something along the lines of, “I hate this book, it makes me want a boyfriend too bad.”

Now and then I’ll re-read DLMG or something else from the ever-talented JH, and I’ll tell myself, “Man I am lucky to have such a talented friend.”

So you should get your hands on a copy of this book. Because I love it, and I think you will too.

You can read an interview I did with JH on Lambda here.

JH Trumble’s Website * Goodreads * Amazon * B&N
IndieBound * InsightOut Book Club

Cover Reveal: CHOSEN ONES by Tiffany Truitt

Aaaaaaaaand the cover is here!



Beautiful, yes? The only thing I don’t love is the font; it’s too all over the place and not crisp enough.
Here’s the official summary:

What if you were mankind’s last chance at survival?

Sixteen-year-old Tess lives in a compound in what was once the Western United States, now decimated after a devastating fourth World War. But long before that, life as we knew it had been irrevocably changed, as women mysteriously lost the ability to bring forth life. Faced with the extinction of the human race, the government began the Council of Creators, meant to search out alternative methods of creating life. The resulting artificial human beings, or Chosen Ones, were extraordinarily beautiful, unbelievably strong, and unabashedly deadly.
Life is bleak, but uncomplicated for Tess as she follows the rigid rules of her dystopian society, until the day she begins work at Templeton, the training facility for newly created Chosen Ones. There, she meets James, a Chosen One whose odd love of music and reading rivals only her own. The attraction between the two is immediate in its intensity—and overwhelming in its danger.
But there is more to the goings-on at Templeton than Tess ever knew, and as the veil is lifted from her eyes, she uncovers a dark underground movement bent not on taking down the Chosen Ones, but the Council itself. Will Tess be able to stand up to those who would oppress her, even if it means giving up the only happiness in her life?