I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on April 6, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

It’s been a long time since I was first introduced to Joey Pigza. In fact, 1998 to be exact. I picked up a copy of JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY and loved the story of Joey, a boy getting engulfed by his ADHD. Told from his perspective, he reminded me of a few of the Joey’s I had in my classroom. I had heard there was a sequel planned and looked forward to seeing Joey again.

pigzaUnfortunately, I never had the opportunity to return to Joey’s world until now. It happened after reading DEAD END IN NORVELT, and it reminded me that Jack Gantos had written the Joey Pigza series. Sure enough, there were three more books in the series (JOEY PIGZA LOSES CONTROL followed by WHAT WOULD JOEY DO?, and the topic of this week’s review, I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA).  When I came across Joey Pigza on the library bookshelf, only the first and last book were waiting for a reader – the others were checked out. I took a chance that by reading book #4 before the middle two, I would not be lost with plot points. It turned out to not be a problem, as the final Joey Pigza book fills in any holes and stands on its own.

PUBLICATION DATE:2007    LEVEL: 5.3  WORD COUNT: 50,574

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): Just when Joey Pigza’s wired world finally seems to be under control, his good-for-nothing dad pops back into his life. This time, though, Carter Pigza is a new man – literally. After a lucky lotto win, Carter Pigza has a crazy new outlook on life, and he’s even changed his name to Charles Heinz. He thinks Joey and his mom should become new people, too. Soon Joey finds himself bombarded with changes: a new name, a new home, and a new family business – running the beat-up Beehive Diner. He knows he should forgive his dad as his mom wants him to, and get with the new family program. But Joey is afraid that in changing names and going with the flow he will lose sight of who he really is.

In this rocket-paced new chapter in Joey Pigza’s life, a favorite hero discovers what identity and forgiveness really mean, and how to cook a delicious turkey burger.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE PET WAR

  1. Joey Pigza is such a loveable character. I giggled each time he said his favorite line “Do you want fries with that?”
  2. The way Joey handles forgiveness. He is way smarter than the adults in his life.
  3. How the author crafted Joey’s thoughts. Joey often believes things maybe aren’t going so well, but then his upbeat voice tells him otherwise. Things he may not supposed to be doing is stuff every kid would smile at – not going to school, practicing his cooking skills at the yet to be open family diner, being the target in a paint ball match.
  4. Joey gives every kid who may be in an unfortunate situation hope. He’s being raised by two parents who would be runaway winners of the Worst Mom and Dad award, but Joey’s true smarts rise above that. You feel Joey will become a decent, successful adult.
  5. This is one of those books that would appeal to a large audience. From eight years old up to adult, boys and girls alike. Great writing has that power.

FAVORITE LINE:

I couldn’t answer because my head began to throb and my brain swelled up like a sponge full of tears.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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An Evening at The Boulder Bookstore with Agents Sara Megibow & Shannon Hassan

Posted on April 4, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

boulder bookWhat a pleasure to listen as Sara Megibow (Nelson Literary) and Shannon Hassan (Marsal Lyon Literary) answered questions about book publishing last night. I hope you find their comments as helpful as I did.

  • 50% of our queries get rejected because they are in genres that we don’t represent.
  • Have one genre. Bookstores don’t shelf books in multiple places.
  • Steps to getting an agent: 1. Book is finished. 2.Know your genre (Read at least 3 books in that genre to make sure you are in the right one). 3.Find a list of agents representing that genre (agentquery.com; Send to first five which allows you to redo the query or manuscript if rejected); 4. Study agency web sites and follow submission guidelines.
  • I read 200 queries each day in 20 minutes. Last year I asked for 98 full manuscripts; 7 were signed; six got deals.
  • In my genres I want more diversity, more people of color, more people of diverse religious backgrounds… There is more discussion in this world than is currently represented on the bookshelf.
  • Shockingly, middle class kid aren’t the only ones who visits bookstores.
  • It takes 2-3 years to write and get published.
  • It’s important to write multiple books in one brand before you move on. You start with several Middle Grade Realistic Fiction books; Years later you move into YA fantasy.
  • Should you resubmit to the same agent with an extensive rewrite? Yes, but don’t discuss the past. It’s not needed, I won’t remember the first one.
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BOOM! for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

gridzbicoverIn 1994 I took my one and only trip to London. I loved every precious minute spent in the city, but have unfortunately never been back. On my last day before coming home I wandered into a charming bookstore. My goal was to pick up a book I could read to my new group of sixth graders in the Fall. I also wanted  it to be from an English author. The first book I came across had a name I could barely pronounce, but the cover grabbed me immediately. The book was GRIDZBI SPUDVETCH!  by Mark Haddon. I read the entire story on the way home and kids the next school year adored the book. It literally disappeared off the shelves.

Flash forward to 2010. I Boomcome across the same book with a completely different cover and name – BOOM! The forward states that the author (Mark Haddon famously known for THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG AT NIGHT-TIME) had received a charming support letter from a group of English school kids and decided to update the story. It’s a rare case where an old book is rewritten for a new generation by the same author. I’m glad he did and it’s only taken me until now to finally read this new version.

PUBLICATION DATE:2010    LEVEL: 4.1  WORD COUNT: 35,732

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): From the moment that Jim and his best friend, Charlie, bug the staff room and overhear two of their teachers speaking to each other in a secret language, they know there’s an adventure on its way.

But what does “spudvetch” actually mean, and why do Mr. Kidd’s eyes flicker with fluorescent blue light when Charlie says it to him? Perhaps Kidd and Pearce are bank robbers talking in code. Perhaps they’re spies. Perhaps they are aliens. Whatever it is, Jimbo and Charlie are determined to find out.

There really is an adventure on its way. A nuclear-powered, one-hundred-ton adventure with reclining seats and a buffet car. And as it gathers speed and begins to spin out of control, it can only end one way . . . with a BOOM!

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT BOOM!

  1. Jimbo and Charlie are charming main characters. They are wise, funny, and insightful.
  2. The deadpan humor that sneaks up on you in every chapter.
  3. It was rather fun wading through some of the cultural differences and trying to decipher a few English words like bonnet for a car hood.
  4. What could be a tiresome plot idea – your teachers are aliens – is told in a refreshing way. Sure to appeal to boys and girls alike.
  5. Obvious bad guys and likeable good guys all thrown together in a plot that may have a few holes, but who cares when the danger, mystery, and action is plentiful.

FAVORITE LINE:

Five minutes after that I’m going to explode too. So I just wanted to say that I love you. And don’t stand too close to me…

One note of caution: Middle grade books in England must have a different set of standards when it comes to language. Sprinkled throughout BOOM! are several “Damns” and “What the Hell…” spoken by both kids and adults.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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‘Bloom’ing Book Report

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

The dreaded book report is something we all have dealt with either as a teacher, parent, or student. It’s no wonder with some of these droll assignments:

                                                 Summarize the plot of the book in three paragraphs.
                                                          Describe your favorite part of the story.
                                                                 Identify the main characters.
 

These knowledge based questions could be answered by looking at the book jacket or searching for reviews of the book on the Internet. My solution to this was to use questions that probed much deeper into critical thinking. The building blocks were already available. Bloom’s taxonomy has been around for more than 50 years. It’s purpose was to take students beyond thinking in a rote, fact based fashion.

I devised these questions for each of the six levels of the taxonomy and now find them helpful as I look back at the stories I’ve written. In the classroom I gave them point values with the higher levels receiving more points. I varied the requirements based on the readiness level of each student. There was also a rubric to evaluate the quality of their answers. If you have any use for these, you can copy and paste the original offered below.

I. KNOWLEDGE (1 point each)

a. Identify the relationship of the characters in the story.
b. When and where does the story take place.
c. Write about one happening in the story.
d. Who are the protagonists and the antagonists?
e. What was the climax (high point of the story)?
 

II. COMPREHENSION (2 points)

a. What was the cause of any one event in the story?
b. Find a sentence in the story that has some words in it that you do not understand. Decode and explain the sentence in your own words.
c. What did you think of the main character? What clues in the story led you to think this way?
d. Illustrate funny, sad, or exciting parts of the book.
e. Summarize the problem faced by the main character.
 

III. APPLICATION (3 points)

a. Think of one way that a character in the story solved a problem. Write what you learned about solving the problem that you could use in solving a problem of your own.
b. Create a diorama from a scene in the book.
c. Make an illustrated dictionary of unfamiliar words you found in the book.
d. Make a map showing the setting of the book.
e. Write a message to a friend telling about the book
 

IV. ANALYSIS (3 points)

a. Put key events in the story on a sequential chart.
b. Write several new titles for the story that would give others a good idea about what the story is about.
c. What was the author’s purpose in writing the story?
d. Compare the book to a movie or TV program that is similar.
e. Compare and contrast this book’s main character with a real person you know or with a similar character in another book.
 

V. SYNTHESIS (4 points)

a. Write another ending to the story that is different from the one the author wrote.
b. Create a game to for others to play that will check to see if they really read the book.
c. Design a promotional ad for the book.
d. Write and present a scene from the book as a play.
e. Predict what will happen next if the story continued.
 

VI. EVALUATION (4 points)

a. Justify the main character’s actions in the story and describe how you might have acted differently.
b. Write a letter to the school media specialist recommending your book for inclusion in the school library. Defend your choice.
c. Choose two characters in the story and decide which character has better qualities/character traits of the two and why you think so.
d. If you could have one character from the story as a friend, why would you make that choice?
e. Write a critical review that could be posted on Amazon or Goodreads.

 

 
 

 

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Harrison Demchick and Ambitious Enterprises

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

Earlier this month I won a contest through the wonderful blog PROJECT MAYHEM – The Maniac Minds of Middle Grade Writers. The prize was a review of a synopsis and the first few pages of my manuscript followed by a 30 minute phone conversation with Harrison Demchick, an editor extraordinaire. Here’s his great interview on Project Mayhem that got me interested.

Today, we were able to connect and have our 30 minute consultation. Harrison in that short time gave me some fantastic advice on my writing and ways to improve characters and scenes. He is knowledgeable in developing your story to its greatest heights and in the fine details of editing. Harrison has a nice easy going style that would be easy for any writer to work with. I encourage you to check out AMBITIOUS ENTERPRISES to see what they have to offer.

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DESTINY, REWRITTEN for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

Earlier this year I enjoyed THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY by Kathryn book2Fitzmaurice. I grabbed the opportunity to read her newest, DESTINY, REWRITTEN. It’s a beautifully written story told from the viewpoint of 11-year-old Emily Davis. As I read the book it seemed that it’s proper place would be as a read aloud in the classroom or in the bedroom at night. I’m afraid most boys would only read this if it were assigned. I even tried –

Me: I just finished this book. Want to give it a go?
11-year-old boy: What’s it about?
Me: It’s about destiny and poetry. The story of…
11-year-old boy: Nah, I’m not into girl’s books.

Okay. I was seconds away from enticing him with Mortie, a nine year old cousin in the story who supplies comic relief. But this is really Emily’s story and one that girls, their teachers and parents would love. I’ll keep working on that 11-13 male demographic, but I’m afraid this one may not be for them – at least not at this point in their lives.

PUBLICATION DATE:2013    LEVEL: 5.1         WORD COUNT: 48,899

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): Eleven-year-old Emily Elizabeth Davis has been told for her entire life that her destiny is to become a poet, just like her famous namesake, Emily Dickinson. But Emily doesn’t even really like poetry, and she has a secret career ambition that she suspects her English-professor mother will frown on. Then, just after discovering that it contains an important family secret, she loses the special volume of Emily Dickinson’s poetry that was given to her at birth. As Emily and her friends search for the lost book in used bookstores and thrift shops all across town, Emily’s understanding of destiny begins to unravel and then rewrite itself in a marvelous new way.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT DESTINY, REWRITTEN

  1. I like that rules were broken by the author. Rules that beginning authors have to follow, but once you’re published the reigns are loosened a bit. The first broken rule is the beginning of the story. As writer’s struggle to come up with that eye popping beginning or the perfect action paragraph to grab hold of  readers, you won’t find that here. It’s a slow, well crafted, and drawn out beginning that doesn’t start running away with your attachment until 60 -70 pages in. Stay with it and you will be rewarded with Emily’s search for her destiny.
  2. Emily’s letters to author, Danielle Steele. Most middle aged readers will not have any idea that Steele is a real author of romance novels. No problem – It’s what Emily says in those letters that bring hope to her world.
  3. Reading about a kid who is successful at stepping out of her comfort zone. Great message for kids … and maybe a few adults.
  4. I enjoyed the individuality of the secondary characters. The English professor mom; Cousin Mortie – obsessed with all thing military; and Emily’s best friends’ Wavey – the researcher, and Cecily Ann – the real poet.
  5. Some rich discussion could take place with others who have read the book. Is there destiny for everyone and can you change what has already been decided?

FAVORITE LINES:

We stood in front of the book table while I whispered an emergency Hail Mary and Mom squeezed my hand, her breath floating out like someone who’d just made the tiniest of wishes on a cluster of birthday candles that they knew would never come true.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

My personal goal this year has been to reduce the growing list of books I want to read. So far it’s going like gangbusters. I’ve never read so many books in a short amount of time – unless you count the summer I tried to read every Hardy Boys book on a bet I eventually lost. Anyway, my real goal is to read every book in popular series. I’ve missed out on way too many.

81tobuDxVNLThe Charlie Joe Jackson series by Tommy Greenwald (…Guide to not Reading in 2011; …Guide to Extra Credit in 2012; and … Guide to Summer Vacation in 2013) fit the bill.

I read the first story when it came out in 2011 and I’m featuring it today. I got a little behind on Tommy’s other stories but will alleviate that misstep soon. I went in not expecting to like the first story, especially since I’m an avid reader.  But when I closed the first book I became an instant fan.

PUBLICATION DATE:2011    LEVEL: 5.4  WORD COUNT: 31,573

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born. And so far, he’s managed to get through life without ever reading an entire book from cover to cover. But now that he’s in middle school, avoiding reading isn’t as easy as it used to be. And when his friend Timmy McGibney decides that he’s tired of covering for him, Charlie Joe finds himself resorting to desperate measures to keep his perfect record intact. Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald is the hilarious story of an avid non-reader and the extreme lengths to which he’ll go to get out of reading a book.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT CHARLIE JOE JACKSON’S GUIDE TO NOT READING

  1. The first person narrative is hilarious. Charlie Joe’s continuous banter about books, girls, parents, and school will have you quoting more than one line.
  2. Charlie Joe breaks his promise of making every chapter short. He slips in an occasional 3-4 page chapter, but reluctant readers will enjoy Chapter 27 – it’s only three words.
  3. Intermixed throughout the book are 25 non-reading tips that had one reluctant reader asking me if he could get a poster size copy of Tip #5 – a list of what to tell parents all the things you do read in a day.
  4. The simple drawings scattered about the pages that support the text. They aren’t on every page or chapter, but they visually convey Charlie Joe’s sense of humor.
  5. The first book in the series did it’s job – it made me want to read the other  books with this same character. Stop the presses … Tommy Greeenwald has completed a draft of his next CJJ story …Guide to Girls. Hope to see that one in 2015.

FAVORITE LINES:

1. And short of reading the collected works of Mark Twain, I can’t think of a scarier situation.

2. The librarian, Ms. Reedy, was an old friend of mine, even though she represented everything evil.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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Writing Motivation

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

iStock_000024086772LargeI frequently hear authors describe their feelings about the trials and tribulations of being a writer. It’s a hard task when perfection can rarely be achieved and the road to publication is a long one. Here’s help with a comeback quote for some of the worries out there.

Worry #1.  I don’t seem to be getting anywhere. I started writing five years ago and have stacks of rejection slips and I’m still not published.

“Believe in yourself and there will come a day when others will have no choice but to believe with you.” Cynthia Kersey

Worry #2. I’m beginning to doubt my abilities. I never have any time to improve my craft.

“Put all excuses aside and remember this: YOU are capable.” Zig Ziglar

Worry #3. I feel lost. I started writing a YA mystery. When I got to about 30,000 words I realized nothing was working. My story needed revisions before I was even finished. So frustrating.

“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.” Barbara Hall

Worry #4. Writing is such a lonely journey and I’m such a people person.

“Some walks you have to take alone.” Suzanne Collins

I hope these help you move forward. Have a great weekend.

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Brain Fillers 1

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

As a former middle grade classroom teacher, I always had hundreds of resources to fill the time when we had 5 minutes left in an activity. I called them Brain Fillers. They also turned out to be good resources for long airport waits, kids getting bored in the back seat, and numerous New Year’s Eve parties. I’ll try and post a sample each week.

This first example comes from a site called PUZZLEMAKER. It’s easy and a variety of puzzles types can be created. The one below is called Fallen Phrase. I used this one a lot when I’d find words or phrases students had trouble reading. Or in this case, showing examples of a famous author’s writing so that a student could learn from the pros.

Underneath each column you choose one letter that would fit in a single box above to complete a phrase. After you use a letter, cross it out. This particular Fallen Phrase is the first sentence in a famous middle grade book that has sold close to 110 million copies since it came out in 1997. You can drag the puzzle to your own desktop and print it out. Enjoy.

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The Adventures of Beanboy for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Greg Pattridge

First off, a reminder. If you have written a contemporary middle grade novel, Writer’s Digest is running a contest that ends on March 18th. Click on the image to get the details.

DearLuckyAgent2The-Adventures-of-Beanboy-Harkrader-Lisa-9780547550787Previously published works like THE ADVENTURES OF BEANBOY by Lisa Harkrader are not eligible. I’m glad since it gave me a chance to once again read something from an author I had never read before, and be rewarded immensely with the journey.

PUBLICATION DATE:2012 LEVEL: 4.3 WORD COUNT: 37,098

FULL PLOT (From Amazon): Never underestimate the power of the bean. Tucker MacBean has been drawing comic books almost as long as he’s been reading them. When his favorite comic has a contest for kids, he hopes he has finally found a way to fix his family—all he has to do is create the winning superhero sidekick . . . Introducing “Beanboy”—the first comic book character to truly harness the power of the bean for good. He is strong, he is relentless, he can double in size overnight (if given enough water). With thoughtful characterizations and copious comic book illustrations, this laughout-loud novel will have readers rooting for a superhero with true heart.

FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT THE ADVENTURES OF BEANBOY

  1. It was fun to sit back and see Tucker McBean’s comic  come to life. The finished product is sprinkled throughout the book, and never detracted from the text. It’s more of a support for the heartwarming story. By the looks of the cover I had expected to see a full blown graphic novel, which this is not.
  2. The realities of what kids go through when they have a special needs younger sibling. The scenes with Tucker and his brother, Beech, are filled with love and understanding.
  3. The transformation of the secondary characters – Tucker’s Mom and Sam, a less than receptive schoolmate. Too bad Tucker’s email only dad didn’t get the same transformation.
  4. A book boys will enjoy, even those who never stray from their favorites or rarely read a book. It’s a humorous and very captivating.
  5. You learn the true meaning of being a superhero.

FAVORITE LINES:

One day. One day to find a superhero heart.

Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

MMGM2

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