The Book Cellar: A Real Gem

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

Those of you who live in the Denver area, or if you are visiting, be sure to head up to Louisville, CO (Near Boulder). Take a walk down main street and visit the charming home of The Book Cellar. Barbara or Sami will make you feel like a member of the family.
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Now in its eleventh year, The Book Cellar is filled with new, used, and even rare books for you to browse. Don’t see the title you are looking for? They will track it down for you without hesitation.

The children’s section has its own little nook toward the front of the store. Organized by author and series, there are many titles you will want for your own ‘to read’ list. Smiles abound on every child searching for their next treasure in this area of the store.

Separate sections for teen, adult, and nonfiction can also be found. Don’t need a book? Imported chocolates, teas, and collectibles are nestled in between the book shelves. Great gift ideas at every turn.

Be sure to visit their Facebook page, website, or better yet, take a drive up there to support this fine independent bookseller.

Yes, you may be 5,335 feet above sea level in Louisville, but walk into The Book Cellar and you will even be closer to heaven.

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Not A Half Brain At All

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

Siblings never seem to be alike. If one says “Yes” the other says “No.” It’s like they have two very different working minds. Take for example these two fictional brothers, Jake and Josh.

Jake is 12 and rarely gets any grade lower than an A. His room is an organized masterpiece. Everything has a place and order is important. He thrives on steps, schedules and listening. Reading and writing are his favorite subjects. Jake is a low maintenance child.

Josh is 11 and barely scrapes by in school. His room is a disaster. He knows it and doesn’t care. If he needs something, he’ll be able to find it. Time is of no use for Josh and he frequently is lost in his own visual world. He’s a selective listener. Josh is best when taking things apart or creating new ideas. He gets the big picture but rarely sees the parts. He dislikes writing and never reads for pleasure. It takes a village to raise a child like Josh.

Jake and Josh each have a lot to offer. They both have a whole brain, although wired a bit differently.  Jake is predominately a left brain thinker while Josh slips to the right brain side for most tasks. Neither relies solely on one side or the other but  their preferred style of thinking has its roots in either the right or left.

I’ve worked with both types of kids and when it came time to create a main character in my first novel, Half Brain, I opted for a voice and actions similar to Josh.   I expanded the description above by giving my protagonist, Hender, a fantastic autobiographical memory that serves his goal of finding the truth about his father.

Besides being a compelling MC, both Josh and Hender give parents and teachers fits. Here are a few techniques that I’ve found works with many who have similar characteristics:

  • Have eye to eye contact when giving directions.
  • If you have a task you want them to do, have them visualize it first. “After I finish talking, go to your room, pick up all your dirty clothes and put them in the hamper, etc.”
  • Give them choice in learning. “Complete the task by doing one of the three choices.”
  • They should have two different colored folders. One for completed work; the other for stuff still to be done. It should be checked daily.
  • Encourage organization but don’t make it the total focus. Celebrate small steps and small victories.
  • Find ways for them to have success.

Visual spatial learners are an important aspect of my writing. I’m currently writing a sequel, NO BRAINER. It further explores the wonders of Hender and his visual-spatial mind as he attempts to solve a mystery.

Visual learners are also a needed component in our world. They are the creative problem solvers, the builders, and the artists so important in many careers. They just have to survive schools who may not understand them or authors like me putting them in crazy, impossible situations.

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Another MMGM

Posted on October 6, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

After visiting here be sure to check the links to other selections over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.

This could be the longest title of any book I’ve read, but this laugh out loud tale by Tom Angleberger was worth the ride. Here’s my take on FAKE MUSTACHE OR, HOW JODIE O’RODEO AND HER WONDER HORSE (AND SOME NERDY KID) SAVED THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION FROM A MAD GENIUS CRIMINAL MASTERMIND.

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Date of Publication: 2012

Word count: 28,188

Level: 4.8

Back of book description (Click on image to make larger):mustache

Five things I liked:

  1. With a name like Angleberger, I was sure the author would go all out with character names that topped his own. Lenny Flem Jr., evil best friend Casper Bengue, Jodie O’Rodeo, and Fako were perfect choices.
  2. The absurd storyline. This one breaks away from anything you have ever read. It was goofy, creative, and I loved thinking about what was going to happen next.
  3. Multiple POV’s from Lenny to Jodeo and back and forth several times. This type of writing is hard to pull off,  but this one flows smoothly.
  4. He created swear words for kids. Characters aren’t supposed to be cussing their heads off in Middle Grade books, but Angleberger came up with some hilarious lines with the likes of “Gotdangled,” “Helchflitz,” “FarDobbled,” and “Punkler.”
  5. As I was reading, it struck me how this would make a great read-aloud for parents to kids at bedtime, and for teachers in that ten minutes before the bell rings. Super silliness and super fun.

Favorite Lines: Luckily, I have spent many hours planning what I would do if someone broke into the house. True, I thought it would be a burglar, not a horde of fast food employees, but, still, it was a pretty good plan.

Who will love this book: Anyone with a crazy sense of humor. Boys especially will like the narration that is always funny and moving the story to a fast conclusion. If you have a kid who can’t wait for Saturday morning cartoons, this will be a perfect substitute. I’m not a big fan of mustaches, but I loved this fake one.

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No more Tweets; But Maybe a Great Storyline

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

Each morning for the past two weeks, this bird has been perched on the same branch, at the same time, in the same position. Not being a bird expert, I have no idea of her species, but she is a beauty. She looks my way as the window shade goes up and stays for a few minutes before flying away. This morning the branch was empty. Twitter tweets are all I have left. (There’s a sentence I didn’t imagine saying five years ago).P1010335

As I thought about where this precious creature might be, the writing portion of my brain took over. This could make a great story from a bird’s perspective, visiting the windows of various people to see what they are up to, getting involved in the start of their days, but then trouble arrives…

Okay, might be a stretch, but it does remind me how I’ve changed since becoming serious about writing. Each day’s activities, the events I witness, the interactions, all lead me back to the same question: Hmmm, could this make an interesting story?

I keep my thoughts to myself to not arouse suspicion and to keep people from worrying about my future, but I’m always looking at it from the writer’s viewpoint. Searching for that special tale that will be fun to write. I have observed and listened to many things the past week. Could there be a short story? A novel? Maybe a movie of the week passing before my eyes?  Time will tell with this week’s sightings, possibly the beginnings of a story:

  • An unmarked van moves through a suburban housing development, stopping occasionally to look at a particular house. Their windows tinted, no one can see their intentions.
  • A boy’s favorite animal, the red fox, talks to him in his dreams, telling him what to do the next day.
  • A dog barks. Twenty feet away sits a twice as large coyote contemplating his next move. The owner sees the interaction and despite persistent banging on the window, the coyote moves closer…
  • Student of the Month. A 14-year-old boy celebrates his first success. His life full of poverty, divorce, and conflict takes a break and his mom smiles. Maybe this kid will make it.
  • Walking through a park, I stop at a posted sign: Set of car keys found. Call 303—
  • A family with their house in foreclosure must give up their best friend, a Siberian husky. One year later they try to get him back.

Keep your eyes open and your ears tuned. The next great story just may be waiting for you in your every day life.

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Write, Read, Rewrite

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

I’ve been asked many times how long it took for me to write my first 40,000-word middle grade novel. The answer surprises most. It took me four months to write and two years to rewrite.

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Now that I am well into the second novel, I’ve begun a new chapter myself in the way I write this book. I’ve settled in on a routine that mixes the writing and rewriting sessions. I start with having a beginning, middle, and end in mind but know little else about the scenes that will make up the final product.

I write the first chapter and each day after that, I reread and rewrite. This pattern keeps up for 5-8 days until it finally sounds like a first chapter. While rewriting, my mind is also spinning out the next chapter, visualizing a beginning, middle, and end there, too. I’m always about 2 chapters ahead.

Again with chapter two, I read it over and revise, put it away for the day and revisit the next day. After a week or so, I have it in good shape. The important thing for me is to keep moving forward while having a firm eye on the rear view mirror.

Currently I have about 10,000 words and looking at an end of the year completion, five months total. Next will be more rewriting, critiques, reading it out loud etc., but I’m confident the rewriting will be shortened with the time I’ve put into the process. Overall I am looking at a finished product one year after starting.

Every author creates in his or her own way. I’ve found “Write, Read, Rewrite” works for me. How about you?

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More Than a Dog Story

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

Another MMGM and who doesn’t love a dog story? Okay, I can think of a few. But maybe if they read Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate Dicamillo  their feelings would change.bk_windx2

Date of Publication: 2000

Page count: 22,123

Publisher’s description: The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of War and Peace. They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar. Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends, and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship-and forgiveness-can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm.

Five things I liked:

1) The main character’s name, India Opal Buloni. I hadn’t read a single page when I knew this little girl was going to be likeable and endearing. How could she not be with a name like that?

2) The way Opal’s dog, Winn-Dixie, helps her resolve or at least feel better about a big issue in her life.

3) How adaptable kids can be. Opal is faced with many challenges and finds a way with her determined spirit to tackle each one.

4) The great lesson that you can not judge others on what you assume.

5) The memorable secondary characters that help Opal and her journey with her new life. There’s Otis, the pet store manager; Miss Franny, the librarian; Gloria Dump, an almost blind neighbor; and her minister father.

Favorite Line: “I was glad it was raining so hard, because it made it easy to cry.”

Who will love this book? Anyone and it makes a great read on an airplane. You can start and finish it in a two hour flight.

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A Book Trailer Before Its Time

Posted on September 24, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

HenderpictureA friend gave me a Christmas present last year that was a first for me. It was a gift certificate for one class of my choice at a local community college. Last July I had some time and took a look at their catalog. Offerings such as The Art of Massage and Olive Oil: Your friend in the Kitchen, were not what I was looking for. I found many writing classes but they sounded too basic. Finally I centered on Getting an Audience with Video.

The quest to publish my first book has been a road full of new experiences. As I look ahead there is an even more daunting task looming on the horizon: Book marketing. Promoting your book via a book trailer is one piece of that puzzle. I have looked at many of these and find the best ones include motion and music.

I took the class (Two nights for a total of 10 hours). The final project was to create at least a two-minute video to promote a business or ourselves. I asked the instructor, who I’m sure just celebrated his 12th birthday, if I could do a book trailer. Even though my book is not on the shelf yet, he agreed and hundreds of hours later (Okay, I exaggerate), my first effort was posted and set to ‘Private’ on my YouTube account.

For the next week I am opening up the video through this link. If you find a few minutes, let me know what you think. After a week or so, I’ll take the video down, revise, and then wait to re-release the final product when the proper time arrives.

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Review: Dead End in Norvelt

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

The sequel comes out tomorrow but today I’m taking a look at Jack Gantos’s  autobiographical novel , DEAD END IN NORVELT.9781250010230-2

Date of Publication: 2011

Page count: 73,597

Publisher’s description: Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is “grounded for life” by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack’s way once his mom loans him out to help a feisty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launched on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder.

Five things I liked:

1) The main character, Jack Gantos. He’s funny, serious, and a contemplative boy all wrapped up in 341 pages. He’s someone you’d want to be friends with.

2) Once you get hooked, it’s a real page-turner. Many reading sessions kept me up, as I had to read just one more chapter

3) Its quirkiness. Poison chocolates, Hell’s Angels, nosebleeds, and obituaries. A weird combination that kept me entertained.

4) Jack’s parents. They are so different and like many parents in the early 1960’s, they were just trying to do their best. Answers had to come from within rather than the latest social media site. They want things to turn out right for their boy but approach it from very different perspectives.

5) The humor. It won’t hit home with everybody, but it often caught me off guard and laughing out loud.

Favorite Line: Mom was a lot faster than I thought and when she collared me from behind at home plate all she said was, “Mister, you are in deep trouble.”

Who will love this book? Those who like historical fiction hidden in a story with mystery and humor… Girls and boys should gravitate toward the tale of Jack Gantos. Even adults would find this book worth their time. Some reluctant readers though may shy away from its length, but if they treat it like 28 separate stories (chapters), it won’t seem as daunting.MMGM2

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My First Review for MMGM

Posted on September 15, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

I’ve enjoyed reading the many posts from Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (MMGM) the past year and thought it was time to pay back with one of my own. Since I have been writing in the first person POV, my reviews of books will be in that same category. First up: IDA B … and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World by Katherine Hannigan.9780060730260

Date of Publication: 2004

Page count: 35,137

Publisher’s description: Ida B. Applewood believes there is never enough time for fun.

That’s why she’s so happy to be homeschooled and to spend every free second outside with the trees and the brook.

Then some not-so-great things happen in her world. Ida B has to go back to that Place of Slow but Sure Body-Cramping, Mind-Numbing, Fun-Killing Torture—school. She feels her heart getting smaller and smaller and hardening into a sharp, black stone.

How can things go from righter than right to a million miles beyond wrong? Can Ida B put together a plan to get things back to just-about perfect again?

Five things I liked:

1) The environmental theme with Ida B really caring about what is happening to her family’s land. She talks to the trees and the brooks and they understand each other.

2) Ida B’s spunkiness and her ability to speak her mind and work out her problems by talking about them.

3) The rural farm setting.

4) The real life jolting experiences Ida B must endure like a parent being sick, a school she hates, and feeling bad about treating others poorly.

5) Her fourth grade teacher. This is what great teachers do every day to bring out the best in each of their students.

Favorite Line: “And we were quiet the rest of the way home, just enjoying the breeze that was blowing through the stars.”

Who will love this book? Girls … especially those who may be lacking confidence.

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What Are Kids Reading?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Greg Pattridge

As a writer, it is important to keep up or even be ahead of trends in reading with your target audience. There is no better list than the one put out yearly from Renaissance Learning called What Kids are Reading.

The list is a summary of books read during the 2011-2012 school year. I zeroed in on the results for Grades 3-7, but the list goes all the way up to 12th grade. The top 40 books for girls, boys, and overall ranking are listed. By far Jeff Kinney series Diary of a Wimpy Kid dominates the 3rd-6th grade level. Not as much in seventh grade (though it still appears in the top 10 for eight grade) as Suzanne Collins Hunger Games series takes over. I peaked ahead at the 9-12 list and saw the classics beginning to creep into the top ten.

If you are writing for this age I would encourage you to take a look at the list. The report would also help adult authors whose audience often include high school age. Conclusions for my Middle Level audience:

  1. Novels with a mix of words and images are the most popular. In this busy visual intensive world these kids are growing up in, it’s no surprise.
  2. Humor is important as is action. This is the Always On generation so keeping their interest is an author’s huge undertaking.
  3. Kids like to read up to the next level. Third graders are reading fifth grade level books like the Wimpy Kid series and fifth graders are beginning to look into Young Adult.

As a writer, I take this information  and incorporate what may work in my story telling. I love humor and try and include a surprise laugh in each of my chapters. There is already a glut of image intensive books for middle level as everyone tries to capitalize on the success of Jeff Kinney. Although pictures will be important in the stories I tell, I don’t see myself jumping in any further.

To me it’s more about gripping a reader with the way a story is told. Making them not want to put it down until every plot point is solved. Amen for great writing.

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