Literacy Now

Dave Roman is the author of several graphic novels including ASTRONAUT ACADEMY: ZERO GRAVITY, AGNES QUILL: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MYSTERY and the upcoming TEEN BOAT. He has contributed stories to EXPLORER: THE MYSTERY BOXES, NURSERY RHYME COMICS, and is the co-author of two New York Times bestselling graphic novels, X-MEN: MISFITS and THE LAST AIRBENDER: ZUKO’S STORY. Roman worked as a comics editor for the groundbreaking Nickelodeon Magazine from 1998 to 2009. He lives in New York City with his wife, Raina Telgemeier.

The characters in Astronaut Academy have a penchant for run-on sentences. What reaction do you get from grammarian teachers when you do school visits?

During my school presentations, I talk about how I grew up loving MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS and comedians who reveled in twisting the English language in silly ways. We have a lot of fun doing live readings, where I’ll project the panels from ASTRONAUT ACADEMY one at a time via PowerPoint slideshow and have kids perform various characters. The baroque sentence structures might trip readers up at first, but once they get the rhythm, the kids really get into it. Every reading brings out something surprising that cracks me up! Teachers usually Laugh Out Loud at the futuristic verbose language, which is a humorous contrast to the abbreviated LOLs they get from current-day text-speak.

You write and draw many of your comics and graphic novels. As a student, how did your teachers encourage that combination of skills?

In high school, my teachers mostly kept writing and art separate, but when I’d go off and make my own comics, the lines always blurred. I’d make the stories up as I was drawing them, with only a general idea of where each comic was going! When I went to college at the School of Visual Arts, professors Carmine Infantino and Klaus Jansen pushed me to really think about the choices I made when telling a story with visuals, and how to focus the reader’s attention, and specifically communicate the ideas I wanted them to get from my work. They championed clarity as the ultimate goal, even over drawing skills or draftsmanship. It’s easy for cartoonists to get caught up in wanting to produce dynamic art, but if a reader can’t follow what is going on, it’s not effective storytelling.

AGNES QUILL: AN ANTHOLOGY OF MYSTERY contains your stories paired with several different illustrators. How does it feel to give up control of the visual representation of your writing?

I love collaborating with other artists! I find limitless joy in seeing my ideas interpreted (and reinterpreted) by other people whose work I admire. Sometimes the end product is really different than what I initially saw in my head, but with the right artistic match, it can end up even better. With the Agnes Quill series, I especially like working with artists who create dark, moody, atmospheric imagery that is distinctly different from my cartoony style. Artists like Jason Ho, Jeff Zornow, Matt Bayne and Jordyn F. Bochon drive me to push my writing into new and interesting places. Each of the Agnes Quill artists has a unique voice, so it’s fun seeing how they add new layers to my teen detective character, while complimenting and contrasting each other in the final book.

You often tweet about comics and graphic novels you like. What are your current favorites, and what future releases are you looking forward to?

I really enjoyed CITY OF SPIES by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan and Pascal Dizin. It’s a relatable coming of age story that mixes a bit of history with spy espionage, action adventure, and a Nazi threat! The book is drawn in a captivating, retro style with nods to TINTIN and LITTLE LULU, but I think it will appeal to modern audiences because the characters are really believable and the plot twists are fantastic. Another underrated book that I love to recommend is THE SECRET SCIENCE ALLIANCE by Eleanor Davis. It’s a fun-filled adventure story that celebrates intelligence and creativity. Eleanor Davis is a mad genius herself, fully taking advantage of each printed page with endlessly clever panel layouts and detailed cutaway shots. It’s the kind of book that invites you to pore over each page for hours, always finding new things to discover.

The graphic novel I’m most looking forward to (after DRAMA by Raina Telgemeier) is BROXO by Zack Giallongo. I love sword and sorcery, especially with younger characters, and I’ve been a fan of Zack’s art for years. From the pages I’ve seen, BROXO promises to be a magical, zombie-filled hack-and-slash good time.

I’m also looking forward to Hope Larson’s adaptation of A WRINKLE IN TIME, which she’s been working on for a while, and will be released in time for the 50th anniversary of Madeline L’Engle’s classic novel.

You and your wife (cartoonist Raina Telgemeier) were recently Cartoonists in Residence at the Charles M. Schulz museum in California. Can you share a bit about what you did there?

As a lifelong Peanuts fan, it was an honor to be a guest at the Schulz Museum! Our day began with a kids’ comic-making workshop. Raina and I shared tips for creating distinctive characters and using real life events as inspiration for stories. Our main goal was to help the kids focus their ideas into something they could actually finish. A lot of kids have ideas for an “epic” series, but have trouble wrapping their heads around short stories, or even something with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

The second event was a visual presentation open to both adults and kids, where Raina and I showcased our life-long love affair with comics. We also used PowerPoint to perform chapters of our graphic novels Astronaut Academy and Smile with volunteers from the audience. That was followed by a meet & greet, where we signed books and chatted with all the attendees: a great mix of kids and comics enthusiasts. Our day was topped off with a tour of the museum (which I recommend to everyone!) and a visit to the Warm Puppy Café, were we had the unique privilege of sharing root beer floats with Jean Schulz!



Graphic Novels Reviewed, Part 1

Secrets of the School Lunch Superheroes

Wendy Henrichs is the author of I AM TAMA, LUCKY CAT (Peachtree Publishers) and WHEN ANJU LOVED BEING AN ELEPHANT (Sleeping Bear Press). Although she knew she wanted to be a published author at seven years old, it took more than a few decades, only happening after her husband and two sons moved to Iowa City, Iowa—an UNESCO City of Literature where novel quotes are literally underfoot on downtown sidewalks. When Wendy isn't writing, she's puttering in the garden, walking her dog, or failing miserably with household chores.

Your new book, WHEN ANJU LOVED BEING AN ELEPHANT, tells the story of an elephant’s capture and captivity. What sparked your interest in this issue?

In 2007, I read a magazine article about the Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee and its co-founder, Carol Buckley. Buckley and co-founder, Scott Blaise, created the sanctuary for Buckley’s elephant, Tarra, knowing of the wild space needed for her to be healthy and happy. This was Buckley and Blaise’s dream, not only for Tarra, but for all captive elephants.

The article also told the amazing story of Shirley and Jenny, two elephants who were unknowingly reunited at the Sanctuary, remembering each other from working in a circus 25 years before. Their story profoundly touched me and, from then on, inspired me to learn more about elephants. What surprised me most was that elephants are not so different from humans with their deep empathetic capacities for one another.

You include two very useful information sections in the back of your book: “Elephant Facts” and “Ways You Can Help Elephants.” Do you have any tips for teachers who might want to enlighten students about the plight of captive elephants?

I would suggest first examining an elephant’s habits in the wild and compare those to what many endure in captivity. For instance, in the wild, elephants walk up to 18 hours a day, foraging for their food and water, requiring much land and space. And, like us, family is a huge emotional component for young elephants raised alongside their mothers and extended family. In captivity, an elephant is often standing on concrete, chained to one spot for hours or days on end. This can result in a medical condition called “foot rot,” a potentially systemic and life-threatening disease. And, if captive elephants are kept apart from other elephants, great sadness and distress can lead to psychologically distressed behaviors.

From here, the class could determine the best conditions for captive elephants: ample space to roam on soft, natural ground instead of concrete, and, most importantly, living among the company of other elephants. If the class knows of a nearby zoo where these conditions are not met, they could make it a project to become elephant advocates, organizing a letter-writing campaign on behalf of an elephant that may be suffering, or, if conditions are good, thanking a zoo that has truly considered all components of an elephant’s well-being. They could also put pennies in a jar for an elephant conservation group or sanctuary of their choice to support elephants.

You published another picture book this fall, I AM TAMA, LUCKY CAT, about a cat that lives in a Buddhist temple. Have you always been drawn to animals as characters?

Yes. I grew up with three older sisters and two generous parents who never said no to all the stray animals we brought home, so our home was FULL of pets. Given that I was a very shy kid, I always felt most comfortable with our animals. As a young reader, many of my favorite books had animals as characters, including the picture books MISS SUZY and HARRY THE DIRTY DOG and the Easy Readers JOHNNY LION and LITTLE BEAR.

As a children’s author, I’m very drawn to writing about animals even beyond picture books, as my work-in-progress young adult novel involves bats. I can’t seem to not write about animals!

An animal lover like you must have pets. How many do you have, and do you look to them for inspiration?

I have two cats, Lily and Lucy, and one dog named Juno. When we first adopted Lily, we noticed she held one paw up while sitting, like a Lucky Cat statue. This triggered my interest in researching the history of the statues, which led to I AM TAMA, LUCKY CAT.

My dog, Juno, is half-Australian Shepherd and half-Blue Heeler, a herd dog through and through. Although she only has squirrels to herd in our backyard, her stalking movements and running speed inspired the herd dog picture book I'm currently working on.

Your books are set (at least partially) in Japan and Indonesia. How have your travels influenced your writing?

One thing I tell kids I meet and share my picture books with is that, although I would love to travel to Japan and Indonesia, I have not yet been outside of the United States. So, how was I able to write the books? By traveling to the library! A magical trip we ALL can make!

Want more? Download the Teacher's Guide to WHEN ANJU LOVED BEING AN ELEPHANT here.



5 Questions With... Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (DOGS ON DUTY)

Toni Buzzeo, well-known for her lively spirit and sense of humor, is the award-winning author of fourteen picture books with five more forthcoming, including ONE COOL FRIEND. For sixteen years, she worked as a school librarian honing her knowledge of children's literature. Combining this knowledge with her love of children, Toni writes about characters of all stripes (including dinosaurs, loons, ducklings, penguins, children, teachers, and librarians) who explore their worlds, their relationships, and themselves in a variety of settings.

LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS tells the story of a very isolated, but ultimately very happy, Christmas. How much of the story is drawn from your own childhood Christmas holidays?

To begin, I must admit to being a self-avowed Christmas geek, even now as an adult. I love everything about the holiday—cutting down the tree in our own Maine woods, rolling out sugar cookies to cut with my extensive collection of cookie cutters,decorating with my even more enormous supply of cookie decorations, and, most of all, making and selecting gifts for everyone in my life. I begin in July most years. I’m even the “Book Elf” in my hometown Buxton Toy Box program for disadvantaged youth, so I get the extra thrill of choosing books for every child in the program each year. What delicious luck!

So, in some ways, I am Peter in LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS, dreaming of everything that has always made the holiday special and planning in advance. I made stacks of little yarn creations as gifts and Christmas cookies at home and at Grandma’s house.

But looking back to my own childhood, from the time I was ten, I was much more like the character of Frances. I was the older sister to three much-younger siblings, and, like Frances, very much a mother to them. It wasn’t difficult for me to imagine how Frances felt when she realized that Peter was sure to be disappointed in the meager holiday they would celebrate on the island with no food or supplies. I must admit, though, that I didn’t know how much I’d channeled my own self in the character of Frances until I saw Nancy Carpenter’s gorgeous, muted illustrations. As I shared those illustrations with my writing group, tears sprang to my eyes. There I was on the page, a surrogate mother who wants to give to her sibling what she loves best herself—a joyous Christmas! My heart knew what my mind had not fully realized as I wrote this story.

Did you write LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS in the writing cottage in your backyard? If so, how did the experience of being in a hexagonal structure help you envision being inside a lighthouse?

Actually, I sold LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS to my editor Lauri Hornik at Dial in 2004, long before I had my lovely hexagonal writing cottage, but you’re right that it would be a perfect place to write a story set in such a confined place. Recently, though, I completed revisions in that cottage of a story set in another isolated little place—a cabin deep in a hollow in Eastern Kentucky. I spent months researching there amid the green trees where the only sound was the bird song just outside, and it was easy enough to imagine that I was 1000 miles southwest of my Maine writing cottage reading by the dying rays of the sun, as my character does.

This question makes me think about how attracted I am to stories in which the main character lives in an isolated place--or in an isolated manner. Even though Elliot and his father, in my forthcoming picture book ONE COOL FRIEND (Dial, January 11, 2012), live in a city big enough to have a large aquarium and a first-class library with the savvy children’s librarian Ms. Stanbridge minding the reference desk, the story is about a boy, his dad, and his purloined penguin, Magellan, enclosed in a lovely old Victorian house. With the addition of his father’s giant tortoise, Captain Cook, I felt little need to expand the cast of characters or the stage the story is played upon. Considering that I was an only child until the age of ten—and quite shy—this may not surprise you at all.

In fact, even when I tackle the wide, wide world as I do in STAY CLOSE TO MAMA (Hyperion, February 23, 2012), set upon the African savannah, I pull the lens in close to show just that one pair or characters, Mama and her baby, Twiga. The stories that attract me most in my trade books are always family stories of one sort or another with a small cast of characters.

The children in LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS get a very special delivery. How did you hear about, or what is your experience with, the Flying Santa program?

There’s a deep joy for me as I research one book (after all, I am a professional librarian!) in finding a single sweet fact that leads me on to another book. As I was researching Maine lighthouses for my first book, THE SEA CHEST (Dial, 2002), I learned about the Flying Santa Service and tucked the idea away. When I shared what I’d read with my editor, Lauri Hornik, she encouraged me to think of a way to tell the story from a child’s point of view as a picture book.

So I dug deeper and learned more about Captain William H. Wincapaw, the flight pilot who, in 1929, determined to honor the work and dedication of the lighthouse families of Penobscot Bay in Maine by dropping bundles of gifts to them from his plane on Christmas day. I imagined how magical it must have seemed to the children at those isolated Maine lighthouses to be visited by Santa himself—in a plane!

Then, it was only left to me to discover who my fictional children would be in LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS and what were their circumstances leading up to the holiday surprise. Taking the mother out of the story and leaving Frances to fill that role makes the story both poignant and personal for me.

Back in July you wrote an excellent teaching tip for our blog. Do you have any tips for teachers trying to incorporate holiday themes into their writing lessons in a dynamic way?

This activity comes from my Lighthouse Christmas Curriculum Guide available for download at my website. It honors the diversity of holiday celebration in our school communities while encouraging creative thinking.

CREATING A HOLIDAY

After they decide to remain on the island with Papa for Christmas, Frances and Peter set about creating Christmas without the traditions they are used to (sugar cookies, carols around the piano, and Santa).

Invite students to choose a holiday they celebrate in their families. Individually, or as a group, ask students to create a list of the ways that they currently celebrate the holiday, including special foods, songs, decorations, religious services, and social gatherings. Next, invite them to imagine that they are confined on a distant island, as Frances and Peter are, and to imagine substitutions for their traditional activities.

__________TraditionalCelebrations______________________           Substitutions_____________|||||||

You recently added a guide to your website that ties the Six Traits of Writing to each of your trade books. Can you give us a teaching tip related to your upcoming January release, ONE COOL FRIEND?

ONE COOL FRIEND absolutely begs for a Six Trait “Ideas” activity! By the end of the story, readers know that when Elliot’s father refers to Captain Cook, he’s not talking about his third grade research topic! Instead, he’s talking about the giant tortoise he appropriated from the Galapagos Islands much as Elliot has appropriated his penguin, Magellan, from the aquarium.

Invite your students to create the story in which Elliot’s father, as a third grader, finds and adopts Captain Cook, the giant tortoise. Encourage them to make their stories as lively and funny as ONE COOL FRIEND by gathering as many appropriate details as they can to embed. This will, of course, involve research about the Galapagos Islands and giant tortoises, just as I had to research the southern tip of Argentina and Megelanic penguins. [Note: If you are working with primary grade children, you might engage in this activity by conducting group research and creating a group story.]



'Tis the Season to Break With Tradition: Reinvent Your Holiday Book List

5 Questions With... Eric A. Kimmel (HERSHEL AND THE HANUKKAH GOBLINS)

Matt de la Peña is the author of four critically-acclaimed young adult novels (BALL DON'T LIE, MEXICAN WHITEBOY, WE WERE HERE and I WILL SAVE YOU, which was released in paperback earlier this week) and one picture book (A NATION’S HOPE: THE STORY OF BOXING LEGEND JOE LOUIS, illustrated by Kadir Nelson). Matt received his MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and his BA from the University of the Pacific, where he attended school on a full athletic scholarship for basketball. De la Peña currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. He teaches creative writing at NYU and visits high schools and colleges throughout the country.

Protagonists in two of your books, WE WERE HERE and I WILL SAVE YOU, live in group homes. You’ve also worked in a group home yourself. What makes this such fertile ground for your writing?

I grew up with some pretty “shady” characters. Basketball is like that. And basketball was my ticket to college. So I was immersed in that world from 12 to 24.

When I came out of it, though, I was able to see it better. And the thing that struck me most was that a lot of these kids who were “bad,” the ones who people were scared of, deep down they were just ordinary kids with ordinary insecurities and moments of dorkiness. But the world set them up as “tough” and “at-risk,” and they learned early on how to play that role to their advantage.

It was a little different when I worked at a group home. I remember a few times I was like, “Man, this kid is just bad, he’s evil.” But then I’d read the kid’s file when everybody was asleep, and I’d learn about the impossible things the kid had been through before the age of 14. And then I’d watch him more closely, and I’d still see glimpses of insecurity and dorkiness. He just hid it a little better than the guys on my hoop squad. It was his way of protecting himself.

When I started writing in this world, I looked at it like this: there are some kids out there that might be quick to beat your ass or lift your wallet or snatch your purse. Yep, these guys are out there. But if you read one of my books, you’re gonna also find out who stole their heart when they were 7. And I think these kids’ lives are just as beautiful as the lives of any other kid.

Your books often deal with issues of class. In I WILL SAVE YOU, for example, there’s the tension that arises between group home resident, Kidd, and Olivia, who comes from a wealthy family. What do you find compelling about these intersections of class in American society?

I was a scholarship kid at a private college. The kids I met came from very wealthy families. I didn’t. Yet we were at the same school, hanging out together at the same parties, sitting next to each other in the same psych class. I was fascinated by our different backgrounds. Sometimes a girl would invite me to eat at her sorority, and I’d sit there thinking, “How the hell did I get here?”

Other times I’d have a real chip on my shoulder. I worried that deep down people thought they were better than me. Yeah, we were all laughing together and goofing off, but maybe if you got past the surface there was something that separated us. See, now I’m hitting on my own insecurities.

I remember one girl I dated in college who came from serious money. The first time I visited her dorm I was drawn to a framed painting on her wall. Two down-and-out black folks drinking wine at a broken-down porch table. It felt weird that she had them on her wall. Framed. It bothered me for some reason. But I didn’t exactly understand why. Maybe I’ve been trying to figure out that feeling ever since. And maybe I’m secretly hoping one of these class intersections I set up in fiction will help.

Several of your titles have been selected as YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers. Why do you think your novels connect with this audience in particular?

Takes one to know one? I was a big reluctant reader when I was in high school. CATCHER IN THE RYE? Shoot, I’d rather be out there playing ball or flirting with girls at the beach. It wasn’t until I read books like THE COLOR PURPLE and HOUSE ON MANGO STREET that I found a heartbeat in literature.

I think a lot of artists try to make things that would appeal to themselves. I probably do that with my books. I like to be real and honest and talk regular, like you hear on the street, and get to the good stuff right away. But secretly I’m also planting things that maybe will make a non-reader FEEL something. Sometimes it works!

Some of your stories deal with characters with violent pasts. What have you heard from teachers regarding student reaction to your books in the classroom?

I’ve heard some teachers say they simply have to avoid my books in terms of the classroom. And I respect that. It’s different at every school. I’ve also heard from teachers who use my books in the curriculum. And it seems to engage the students because the books meet them in their own neighborhoods.

I think every writer has to make a decision: what’s more important to me, being embraced by the Scholastic Book Club (man, that would be cool!) or having a notoriously aloof student in a tough middle school or high school pick up the book and read a few pages and think, "This is how it really is." So far I’ve chosen the latter. I just wanna make good books about kids on the “wrong side of the tracks.” And I’ve been incredibly lucky to have teachers and librarians who want to put my books in kids’ hands. Which is the only reason I have a career.

You published your first picture book earlier this year, A NATION’S HOPE: THE STORY OF BOXING LEGEND JOE LOUIS. What inspired you to write for younger readers?

[Artist and illustrator] Kadir Nelson. I’d long been a fan of his work. And when I found out I’d have the chance to work with him, I dug in. And it felt like going back to my roots in a way. I started out writing a lot of spoken word, street-style poetry. But my poems ran too long and they evolved into longer works of prose. But I love language and sounds and rhythms. A NATION'S HOPE gave me a chance to go back to economical rhythm-based storytelling. I loved it.

And now I’m hooked. I just finished a picture book called LAST STOP ON MARKET STREET which will be released by Penguin in 2013. The illustrator is an incredibly talented new guy named Christian Robinson. He has a few projects set to come out actually, and I believe people are going to fall in love with his work.



5 Questions With... Rebecca Stead (LIAR & SPY)

5 Questions With... Rob Buyea (MR. TERUPT FALLS AGAIN)

Megan Kelley Hall is the author of the young adult novels SISTERS OF MISERY and THE LOST SISTER. She lives north of Boston. You can visit her online at www.megankelleyhall.blogspot.com.

Carrie Jones is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Need series—which includes NEED, CAPTIVATE, and ENTICE—as well as GIRL, HERO; LOVE (AND OTHER USES FOR DUCT TAPE); and TIPS ON HAVING A GAY (EX) BOYFRIEND. She lives in Maine. You can visit her online at www.carriejonesbooks.com.

Can you tell our members how this project came about?

Megan Kelley Hall: As a Massachusetts resident, I was following Phoebe Prince’s “bullycide” very closely. Both my books feature the ultimate "mean girls" and I’d spoken at schools about bully prevention. During the writing process, I had to dig deep to make "mean girls" as evil as I possibly could. And yet, when I heard the numerous bullying stories that were leading the headlines, I felt as if the “bullies” had jumped out of my book and into real life. I was also struck by the number of times I had done book signings where I would say to the teens and their mothers who attended my signings, "I hope you never meet girls as mean as the ones in this book." The overwhelmingly common response was "We already have."

Carrie Jones and I formed the group YAAAB (Young Adult Authors Against Bullying) in April 2010 when we both coincidentally blogged about the Phoebe Prince case on the same day. I reached out to Carrie expressing my frustration with this case and the fact that bullying that seemed to be growing at a ridiculously fast rate. We owed it to our readers to discourage bullying—to make it "uncool."

Carrie Jones: Megan and I had both blogged about bullying on the same day. For me, it was much bigger than the tragedy of Phoebe Prince. It was also about little girls like Jazmin Lovin, a kindergartener who was allegedly bullied at her school. It was about kids who were bullied about their sexual orientation, their size, their parents; kids who were bullied about anything.

So as an author, I did the only thing I could think of doing, which is calling for stories. The hope was that if we all shared how we had been bullied, kids could find hope in our survival, hope in the fact that some super cool authors like Heather Brewer or Alyson Noel or R. L. Stine had survived and that they could too.

Megan Kelly Hall

Megan: We started by creating a Facebook page that kicked off our entire "movement" to end bullying. This was the day that we decided to use our platform as Young Adult authors to actually facilitate change and to be a voice for those kids who cannot speak out or are too afraid to be heard. Our Facebook group jumped from 5 to 1500 members in one weekend. We are now closing in on nearly 5,000 members. Carrie and I were beyond thrilled when HarperTeen offered to put all of our stories into an anthology.

There are seventy authors featured in DEAR BULLY, including Megan McCafferty, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Werlin—in other words, some of the biggest names in YA. How did you get them to open up about such a raw topic?

Carrie: The first thing we did was open up our blogs and call for stories. Most of the authors we knew personally and they hopped right on board. It snowballed from there, and we really did a minimal amount of solicitation. We probably received more than double that number of submissions and responses.

Megan: Right away, a large number of authors jumped on board of this cause—wanting to be involved in any way possible. The thought of having 70 authors— well-known, highly successful writers—sharing their personal bullying stories with their fans was something beyond what we had ever hoped for. It’s a book that I wish I had when I was a teenager. I was also struck by how generous and open these authors were to share their stories. I was shocked at how many are still nursing their scars from bullying experiences in their past. Many were eager to share their stories, so that they could give their readers hope and the courage to keep forging ahead.

The stories in DEAR BULLY come from all angles: from the point of view of the victim, the mother, the friend, the sibling, the classmate—even a few from the actual bully. Some of the stories are light-hearted, while others are raw and emotional. All of them drive home the point that bullying is something that almost everyone has experienced.

And while that is a sad fact, they want to prove that it's not a rite of passage. It doesn't make you stronger, wiser, or better. But it is something that can be overcome, something that can be changed, something that is relateable, and something that one should never be ashamed of.

Through these stories, the authors want to show that they understand what teens are going through today. It is important to encourage bystanders to speak up and make bullying unacceptable. Parents and adults must get involved. Bullying is something that people no longer have to endure—at least, not by themselves.

On the DEAR BULLY companion site, you plan to publish one new story that’s NOT included in the book each week. Will these essays come exclusively from authors, and how long do you plan on publishing fresh pieces?

Megan: Yes, HarperTeen is going ahead and publishing stories that were accepted for the anthology, but had to be cut due to spacing issues. Since we received well over 200 essays and only were able to print 70, we have a lot of content to share.

We also have a goal of making the website more interactive—going back to the discussions that we started on our original Facebook site. And since there are new stories about bullying nearly every day (hopefully there will be more good news than bad going forward), we will always have fresh news and content to share with our readers.

Have you heard from any educators about how they are or plan to use DEAR BULLY in their classes?

Carrie Jones

Carrie: Educators from Maine to Oregon have already contacted us about using DEAR BULLY in their classrooms. A lot are picking out stories that they hope will open up discussions with their kids. There’s been so much positive feedback from so many caring teachers, librarians and guidance counselors. It’s one of the things that make me happiest about the project. One school system in Maine is doing an entire day with DEAR BULLY as its focus. That’s a hero kind of school system. They really give me hope.

[NOTE: You can download a Discussion Guide for DEAR BULLY, written by bullying expert C.J. Bott, here.]

Megan: Since there are so many stories from so many different points of view, our hope is that educators, coaches, teachers and counselors can use a different story for each unique situation. The goal of the book is to open up a dialogue about bullying. An opportunity for teens to express to their peers, their parents, their teachers what they are feeling, what they are seeing and how to gauge the level of bullying that is going on in their lives.

Many teachers are taking cues from book bloggers. Many bloggers, in addition to reviewing the anthology, have been adding their own bullying stories to the mix. This is a great opportunity for teens AND teachers to share their personal experiences with bullying. Many will be surprised at how similar their stories are. Perhaps there will be some eye-opening experiences when teens realize that their peers are dealing with similar situations.

A portion of the book’s proceeds goes to STOMP Out Bullying. Can you tell us a little about the organization and why you chose it?

Megan: There are so many organizations that are doing amazing work…. PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center, Southern Poverty Law’s Teaching Tolerance, BullyBust, the Trevor Project and their “It Gets Better” message.... It was a VERY difficult process of just picking one.

Carrie: STOMP Out Bullying is a passionate organization with great leadership and a tremendous amount of web resources, which are readily available to all people dealing with bullying. Like Megan said, it was incredibly hard to pick just one organization to work with, but STOMP’s online resources are so vital to helping kids and educators, that it pushed us in that direction.

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