STACKED

books

A Guide To Incorporating HERE WE ARE: FEMINISM FOR THE REAL WORLD Into Classroom and Library Discussions/Curriculum

|

 

An impetus for beginning the “Anatomy of a YA Anthology” series came from being asked a lot of questions about the anthology process while promoting the book when it first released. I got so many great questions that led me to want to know more about the process behind other author’s anthologies.

Another thing that I got asked in numerous places was if I would consider putting together some kind of discussion guide for Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World that could be used in classrooms and libraries. There is a reading group discussion guide available through Reading Group Choices, which I wrote and you can access here, but this sort of resource would be different. It would give concrete ideas for incorporating the book into classroom (or library) discussions, with places where individual essays could be paired with other topics of study in neat, creative, and thought-provoking ways.

Today, I bring that guide.

This resource guide is built in two different ways, in order to accommodate a wealth of ways to incorporate the book — or even pieces of it — into current curriculum. First, I’ve pulled together the general ways that the book fits within Common Core standards for literacy and for writing across a range of subjects and topics. Second, I’ve created a means of looking at each individual essay, the themes presented, possible discussion/writing ideas, and ways those essays may be worth looking at in conjunction with common class reading/study topics. It would be impossible to make a guide to cover every possible scenario, so this is a broad guide, but I’ve written in such a way to make it easy to search by topic/area of interest.

The guide focuses Common Core alignments with 9-10 and 11-12 grade, but these are easily applied to grades 6-8, as well. Likewise, I have selected not to repeat the questions from the Reading Group Choices guide, though those would allow a lot of opportunity in meeting literacy standards for writing.

If you’d like a downloadable version of this guide, you can access it here.

 

Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World Common Core Standards

CCSS.ELA.RI.9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.3

CCSS.ELA.RI.9-10.4, 9-10.5, 9-10.6

CCSS.ELA.RI.9-10.7, 9-10.8

CCSS.ELA.RI.11-12.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.3

CCSS.ELA.RI.11-12.4, 11-12.5, 11-12.6

CCSS.ELA.RI.11-12.7

All CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10, 11-12 all.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.3, 9-10.4

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.3, 11-12.4

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.9-10, 11-12 all.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1, 9-10.2, 9-10.3, 9-10.4, 9-10.5, 9-10.6, 9-10.7, 9-10.8, 10.9

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1, 11-12.2, 11-12.3, 11-12.4, 11-12.5, 11-12.6, 11-12.7, 11-12.8, 11-12.9

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10, 11-12 all.

 

Select Big Picture Topics and Themes For Exploration in Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World

  • How can art be used to make a statement?
  • Which pieces of art from this book would be hanging on the walls of various literary or historical figures and why?
  • Words like “feminism” seem straightforward but they’re quite complex. How does this book highlight the similarities and differences among different people about what feminism is and is not?
  • How does the format of a piece of writing impact the tone and the message within it?
  • What is the purpose of a personal essay? Where and how does it tell a story? Why do people choose to write about their own experiences?
  • Can personal essays be persuasive?
  • Read the different voices represented in this collection as a means of staff enrichment or development, as the range of experiences included here mirror today’s students.

 

Topics, Themes, and Ideas To Explore Within Each Piece of Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World

Each essay below is listed with general themes and topics for discussion and writing purposes. Most, if not all, of the essays could easily be worked into research within and across a variety of areas. Likewise, almost all of these authors are published in a variety of formats, from online journals to novels to well-established and award-winning nonfiction. There is excellent opportunity for author studies on any of the writers, as well as excellent opportunity to introduce new works by them to students who may enjoy what they read here.

Forever Feminist by Malinda Lo

  • Write about characters who have stuck with you or influenced your life.
  • Explore classic feminists in literature — current and historic.
  • The power of history and family history, particularly as it relates to refugee families.
  • China and World War II.
  • Author/Book connections: Madeleine L’Engle, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Little Women.

 

What Does “Feminism” Mean? A Brief History of the Word, from Its Beginnings All the Way up to the Present by Suzannah Weiss

  • Explore the idea of etymology.
  • How and why do the meanings of words change over time?
  • Does knowing the evolution of the word “feminism” change how you read and explore the idea in classic literature? In early feminist texts?
  • How has our idea of feminism evolved alongside or counter to the word’s evolution?
  • Research project idea: find early uses of a common word in primary/secondary sources and how it has changed (or not!) over time.
  • How has social media impacted the meanings that words have?

 

Bad Feminist: Take Two by Roxanne Gay (originally published in Gay’s essay collection Bad Feminist)

  • What makes a feminist “good” or “bad?”
  • What defines the idea of “good” and “bad?”
  • Identify a single strong female character and analyze why/how they are “good” or “bad” feminists. Compare them with other strong female characters.
  • Examine the tone of Gay’s piece and how it effects the overall theme and takeaways of the essay.

 

Privilege by Matt Nathanson

  • Analyze a selection of advertisements in print and in other forms of media to determine the messages sent to male vs. female readers. Consider and write about who those ads are really meant to reach.
  • What messages do girls and boys each receive growing up that creates a self-esteem gap? Where do those messages come from?
  • Identify and explore examples of male feminists through literature. What does or does not make them feminist?
  • What does “privilege” mean?

 

The Monster Book of Questions and Answers by Anne Thériault

  • How and why is mental illness a feminist issue?
  • Explore “what if” scenarios relating to well-known examples of those in history and literature who suffered mental illness. For example: what if Vincent Van Gogh had better access to mental health help? Would Sylvia Plath have fared better or worse in today’s slightly-more-accepting climate of mental health?
  • Using the “Ten Amazing Scientists” list at the end of the article as a springboard to researching famous women in science and their enduring legacies. Tie-in to Hidden Figures and other recent media on women in science.

 

Pretty Enough by Alida Nugent

  • How does the use of humor help convey its theme? How can humor help structure an effective essay?
  • Talk about why we need diverse representation in literature and history.
  • What messages — subtle or not — are sent to people in our culture who don’t fit the typical mold of white beauty? How do we deconstruct that model of the “ideal” look?

 

So I Guess This Is Growing Up by Liz Prince

  • How can comics be like personal essays?
  • In what ways do comics convey information that traditional texts can’t or don’t?
  • Create your own comic about a moment in your life that was important OR create a comic based on a character in a book you’ve read recently.

 

I Have Always Eaten The Bread by Lily Myers

  • What does the phrase “this is the shape I make today” mean? How does it apply in your own life?
  • Examine the messaging of men’s and women’s magazines. What do the covers and articles suggest about bodies, health, and/or what’s “good shape” in each? Compare and contrast.
  • What’s the psychology behind advertising? What messages do advertisers hope to convey to people?
  • Read this one alongside “Privilege” by Matt Nathanson to talk about gender, sexism, and social messaging.

 

Dragging Myself Into Self-Love by Constance Augusta Zaber

  • What are gender roles? Where do they come from and in what ways do they come into and play a part in our everyday lives?
  • Pick a fictional character or historical figure who defied conventional gender norms.
  • Pick a living individual who defies gender norms and highlight the ways they’ve been a trailblazer within their respective area of expertise.
  • Discuss what “choice feminism” is as a topic and why it’s not key to being a feminist or understanding feminism more broadly.
  • Read this one alongside “I Have Always Eaten The Bread” by Lily Myers and “Privilege” by Matt Nathanson to talk about peer pressure, self-love, self-recognition, and gendered messaging.

 

The Likability Rule by Courtney Summers

  • Explain what “The Likability Rule” means, citing examples in books, music, movies, or other media.
  • Why do we label some characters as “unlikable?”
  • Create a list of unlikable male characters in literature and apply the “likability” standards to them as outlined in the essay. Where do they fail to fit? Do they have more leeway than similarly unlikable female characters?

 

Broken Body, Worthless Girl, and Other Lies I Called The Truth by Kayla Whaley

  • Where does the idea of desirability come from? What messages do we receive about what does or doesn’t make a person, place, or idea something we desire?
  • Dive into the history of a disabled author or person from history and talk about the great contributions they’ve made.
  • How does this piece’s format — a letter to one’s younger self — convey its message? In what ways is it more effective than a more traditional personal essay?
  • Use the format to inspire a creative writing project: have an adult character from literature or history write a letter to their younger selves with the lessons they’ve learned.
  • Pair with Siobhan Vivian’s essay and Erika T. Wurth’s essay for more in-depth discussion of letters as means of persuasion and writing styles/techniques.

 

All The Bodies by Rafe Posey

  • How does this essay expand and/or explore the Langston Hughes essay “My Life As A Social Poet?”
  • Why is “feminism” a loaded concept, as stated? In what ways can it become less loaded, if it can be?
  • How does reading help encourage empathy?

 

Do Female Black Lives Matter Too? by Amandla Stenberg

  • How are black women represented in the media? In literature? Through history? Cite examples of good and bad representation.
  • Where do we see black women in literature?
  • What black women authors should become part of the literary canon?
  • This short piece notes that “When the media is not ignoring black women all together, they are disparaging them.” What does that mean?
  • Research project: highlight the life of a black woman from history or literature who made an impact in their given field.

 

An Interview With Laverne Cox: “I Absolutely Consider Myself a Feminist” by Tricia Romano

  • Explore feminism and womanism as noted in the interview, including bell hooks and Kimberlee Crenshaw, noted academic who coined the term “intersectionality.”
  • Read and analyze “Ain’t I A Woman?” by bell hooks. How does Cox see herself in light of this poem?

 

Feminism Is As Feminism Does by Mia and Michaela DePrince

  • Read Michaela DePrince’s memoir Taking Flight and compare/contrast her story there with how she’s pursued helping others in her young life.
  • How do you pursue a passion?
  • What does global feminism look like? How do Western feminists help women (and other genders) throughout the world?
  • Research an organization dedicated to helping women in another country. What and why do they do what they do? How have they helped those communities?
  • Explore some of the further reading and resources included in this essay to learn more about the issue of female genital mutilation and sexual violence. Pair this essay and research with the interview about girls’ stories and sexual assault with Laurie Halse Anderson and Courtney Summers.
  • Mia’s song at the end of the piece highlights early feminists. Who are they, and how and why have they influenced her in her own feminism?
  • How is songwriting an effective means of conveying an idea?

 

Somewhere In America by Zariya Allen

  • Explore the history of censorship in America. Dig into what censorship does and does not mean?
  • Select a frequently banned book and research why it’s controversial. How does/doesn’t that differ from what we see on the news or in the media?
  • How is poetry and effective means of highlighting an idea or topic?
  • Pair with “Shrinking Woman” by Lily Myers to talk about slam poetry and oral storytelling.
  • Watch both this piece and Lily’s via YouTube and compare/contrast the impact of hearing vs. reading it.

 

Choose Your Own Adventure: Why Fandom Is Right For You (Yes, You!) by Brenna Clarke Gray

  • Develop your own fan fiction for a character in a classroom read.
  • Or, write a short piece of fan fiction from the voice of a character in a book you’ve read.
  • Read a selection of fan fiction and discuss how, where, and why it’s effective creative writing. What keeps you reading? What makes you stop?
  • Discuss how fandom impacts the what/how/ways we connect with books and stories.
  • Read a book, then explore a selection of fan fiction and/or fan art from it. Write about how the fan work sticks to or strays from the original work.

 

Facets of Feminism by Mikki Kendall

  • Who are your feminist icons and why?
  • Research the variety of women named in this essay — historical and contemporary — and explore where, why, and how they’ve had their feminism criticized.
  • In what ways have historical feminists criticized modern feminists of color? Where, why, and how has this happened?
  • How do we allow new, younger voices take the mic up about feminism?
  • Read Alice Walker’s views on womanism and talk about the difference between feminism and womanism.
  • Pick one of the women named in this essay and research her life.

 

Don’t Cash Crop On My Cornrows by Amandla Stenberg

  • Research the history of jazz and blues. How do those music genres relate to hip hop?
  • How has black culture been bought and sold?
  • Why does it matter to see and read diverse literature? What is the power of #ownvoices (stories written by marginalized people about those from their same marginalization) vs. those stories which are diverse but written by those outsize a particular marginalized group?
  • Create a visual or write a short essay on recent trends in popular culture which had their roots in black culture.

 

A Conversation About Girls’ Stories and Girls’ Voices with Laurie Halse Anderson and Courtney Summers by Kelly Jensen

  • Use this interview as part of a novel study with Speak and/or All The Rage. 
  • Why is it that girls’ stories have been historically underrepresented?
  • Why is the Western literary canon primarily white men?
  • Explore rape culture as seen through classic literature. For example: How/where does The Scarlet Letter play into rape culture? Does the context of this story change some of its messaging?
  • Topics about women and literature abound: the use of male pen names, the meaning of genre vs. “literature,” and so forth.

 

Girl Lessons by Sarah McCarry

  • What messages might girls pull from the books that they read or the media they consume about how they should “be a girl?” About how they should relate to other girls?
  • Use this essay in conjunction with studies about gender norms and conformity.

 

The Princess and the Witch by Wendy Xu

  • What is cultural fetishization? Cite examples through modern and historical times.
  • Use this comic to discuss the power of comics as a medium of storytelling and information sharing.
  • How does this comic relate to Xu’s note on being fascinated with “Beauty and the Beast” while growing up?
  • Pull this piece with “Feminism is as Feminism Does” by the DePrince sisters, as well as with “Don’t Cash Crop On My Cornrows” by Amandla Stenberg to talk about global feminism, as well as cultural identity.
  • Compare and contrast Xu’s story about growing up as an Asian American with the experiences that Malinda Lo shares in her essay “Forever Feminist.”

 

Corny Won’t Kill Your Cred: Rearview Mirror Reflections on Feminism and Romance by Siobhan Vivian

  • Cite examples of teen romance in books and in the greater media and explore what the messages they share might be. What might readers walk away with about the ideas of love and romance from them?
  • Tie in with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. What if Juliet had received a similar letter from her future self? What would change, if anything? Perhaps, going out on a limb, there’s an opportunity for Juliet to write a letter to her young self in an imagined world where she is still alive.
  • Compare and contrast the letter-style essay format with Kayla Whaley and Erika T. Wurths pieces.

 

Faith and the Feminist by Kay Mirza

  • Research project: explore famous Muslims in history, literature, and contemporary times.
  • Why does representation matter? How might Mirza’s experiences growing up have been influenced by seeing more Muslims in books and television?
  • Mirza’s essay explores the tensions between feminism — historical and modern — and her faith. In what ways have religion and other philosophies impacted history and/or literature?
  • Can one be religious and feminist? How does someone come to terms with some of their beliefs contradicting?

 

In Search of Sisterhood by Brandy Colbert

  • Where have you found sisters/brothers outside of your family? If you never have found a sister/brother in the world, why?
  • Research project: black women through history and/or literature.
  • Read in conjunction with Colbert’s novel Pointe and see where Colbert’s own shared experience appear in her novel.
  • Colbert wrote a list of great black girl friendships. Brainstorm and write about great black girl friendships in books.

 

A Feminist Love by Jessica Luther

  • What are some examples of messaging to women about romance?
  • Explore dating ads and the messages they present about gender and gender norms.
  • What and why are some couples seen as “power couples” through history or the media? Give examples.
  • How could the experiences Luther talks about in relation to her own marriage be useful in offering dating or romantic advice to literary characters?

 

The “Nice Girl” Feminist by Ashley Hope Pérez

  • Who are examples of “nice girls” in literature or history? What about in pop culture? What makes them “nice girls?”
  • Apply the tips of being a “nice girl” to a character in a book who might need it.
  • What are the differences and similarities between the “nice girl” and the “unlikable” girl? Are there equivalent labels for boys and other genders?

 

Shrinking Women by Lily Myers

  • Explore cultural messaging about women and self-esteem, especially as it relates to body image.
  • How and why is slam poetry and effective method for persuasion?
  • What characters or people from history would relate to this poem? How and why?
  • Pair with “Somewhere in America” and watch the performances of both poems on YouTube. How does the viewing experience differ from the reading experience of each of these poems?

 

Dear Teen Me: It Would Have Changed Everything; It Would Have Changed Nothing by Erika T. Wurth

  • Where and how do we typically learn about Native Americans? What sorts of stories are shared in the classroom and in popular media?
  • Why does representation matter? Tie this piece in with others on the same topic of representation and inclusivity.
  • Pair with reading Sherman Alexie’s Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. How does Junior’s experience compare with Wurth’s, if at all?

 

A Thousand Paper Cuts by Shveta Thakrar

  • How do underrepresented voices get heard? How do the works of marginalized groups get read and shared?
  • How is writing a feminist act? How is writing a political act?
  • An excellent piece to talk about the writing process more broadly and might make for a solid first day reading for a writing-focused course and/or a solid piece of inspiration in similar classes.

 

The Win That Comes From Losing by Wendy Davis

  • Explore “losers” through history and what experiences or victories came in time for them.
  • Discuss: when is it okay to lose? What do we learn from failing to achieve something we set out to achieve?
  • When is it okay to quit? Is it ever okay to be a “quitter?”
  • Write about a character who has suffered a big loss and how they used that loss to motivate them on their journey.
  • Contemporary research project: what initiatives or activities has Davis participated in since her loss? How has she continued to be active and engaged in her community (both the small and big community)?

 

Many Stories, Many Roads by Daniel José Older

  • Research the quote that leads off the essay. Who is it credited to and why is it an important introduction to Older’s essay? How does it tie into what the essay explores?
  • Using the definition of “feminist” explored, discuss how various characters through literature have found their way to feminism.
  • Pair this essay with luminaries included within it: Audra Lorde, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
  • At the end of the essay, Older talks about “the beautiful struggle.” What does that mean? How does it play out in history or literature?

 

Reading Worthy Women by Nova Ren Suma

  • Do we all need to read the same sorts of books to be considered “well-read?” What does being “well-read” mean?
  • Why is the Western literary canon predominantly straight white male authors?
  • What makes some books “literature” and others not? Why do some get studied in school and other titles don’t?
  • What female authors should be part of a reading curriculum? What five female authors should everyone read in high school English classes?
  • Pair with essays about representation and voice.
  • This essay would pair excellently with the first class read of a book by a female author.

 

The Choice Is Yours by Kody Keplinger

  • Why are children a symbol of achievement for women? Is it the same for men?
  • What, exactly, is selfishness? How is one act considered selfish and another not? Who decides the line between the two?
  • Explore literary and historical examples of when a choice made early in one’s life has had a huge impact on them, especially if it was a choice met with significant resistance.

 

A Guide To Being A Teenage Superheroine

  • Create your own superhero identity and make yourself into a comic to tell your story.
  • Create a superhero identity for famous heroes and villains through history and/or literature.
  • An easy “introduce yourself” activity for new classes, as well as a way to introduce new characters in a book — one part of a reading assignment could be to develop a series of superhero profiles for a book’s main characters.
  • Discuss superhero identities broadly: why do they matter? Why do we like them so much? Where and how is it okay for superhero identities to grow and evolve? Pair up with discussions about race and gender changes in superhero stories (like Miles Morales, Thor, etc.).
  • Pair with discussion of mythology.

 

Don’t Peak in High School by Mindy Kaling

  • Why does pop culture romanticize high school?
  • Culturally, what does high school represent? Where and how has the representation changed through history?
  • Explore images and renderings of high school and the growth of teen culture after World War II.
  • Why are high school experiences of people of color lacking in pop culture and history? Tie back into discussion within other essays about representation of diverse experiences in literature and pop culture.
  • Write about your own high school experience and how it is similar and different from an example in a song, a book, a movie, or a television show.

 

Owning My Feminism by Kelly Jensen

  • How are feminists portrayed through history and in popular culture?
  • Imagine the impostor syndrome literary or historical figures have experienced: what were they thinking or feeling during some of their biggest, scariest moments? What about in their quieter and still important moments?
  • How can you own your feminism?

 

 

____________________

I hope this helps those of you looking for ways to incorporate the book and/or parts of it into your curriculum. I’ve heard from a number of readers that they’ve incorporated the book into unique and creative discussions, and I’d love to hear more about how you’ve used Here We Are with teens (or adults!).

For those who are interested, I do offer free Skype visits for teachers or librarians using Here We Are. All of the details for doing that are available here, as are details about the non-fiction writing for teens program I offer more locally (Milwaukee, Madison, Chicago, and Rockford areas are all local to me). You can find my contact information there, too, and I’m happy to hear feedback or suggestions for this curriculum guide.

If you’d like a downloadable version of this guide, you can access it here.

Anatomy of an Anthology: WELCOME HOME edited by Eric Smith

|

 

Today’s edition of “Anatomy of an Anthology” comes from YA author/editor/fanboy Eric Smith. His first anthology, Welcome Home, was published by Flux and hit shelves September 5.

 

Your Name: Eric Smith


Your Anthology’s Name: Welcome Home

 

Anthology Description: A YA short story collection centered around the theme of adoption.


How did you get your idea/what was the initial spark? My wife, really. She’d been trying to push me to write a little more seriously, focus on topics that were close to me. It always surprised her that I didn’t write about being an adoptee more, since it was something I talked about a lot and occasionally wrote an essay about. And as we discussed it more, it started to hit me how seldom I saw adopted characters in stories growing up.

Where did you begin researching your idea and/or developing the idea into a more clear, focused concept? I started looking at a lot of my favorite YA anthologies from the past few years, like Geektastic edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci, Stephanie Perkins’ excellent My True Love Gave To Me, and those short-stories-from-hell collections with Libba Bray, Meg Cabot, Melissa Marr, and Kristin Cast.

 

I asked myself lots of questions. What did these books do so well? How many contributors did each collection have? I found myself emailing a lot of people that had been in collections like these, to see how they came together.


What steps did you take from idea to proposal? I brainstormed with my agent a bit, and then sent over a potential outline after emailing a bundle of author friends that I thought might be interested. We talked about what their stories might be, and once I had five people that were absolutely confirmed and a whole bundle, close to two dozen or so, that were a solid maybe, we built the proposal.

 

What was included in your proposal to your publisher? It was a pretty hefty proposal. We had an overview of what the book would be and why we thought it needed to exist, that was sort of a mashup of jacket-copy-meets-query-letter. We had a few pages that detailed confirmed and potential contributors, as well as some pages that talked about comparative titles that would share shelf space, like the anthologies I mentioned earlier.

 

We also dove into the platform brought on board by the authors in the collection, and what we could potentially do. Events together, pre-order campaigns, and the like. Spent a bit of time name dropping, authors and media folks we thought might potentially boost the project.

 

And then, there was the sample material. We didn’t have much, just a few quick blips that talked about the stories in-progress, as well as the stories that were already finished. I was lucky enough to have finished shorts from Adi Alsaid, Lauren Gibaldi, and Mindy McGinnis going out.

Did you use an agent? If you didn’t use an agent, how did you find a publisher? I did.


How did you find your writers?  I’m lucky enough to be connected with some wonderful writer folks thanks to the joys of Twitter. I sent plenty of awkward DMs and emails. I wanted the collection to have a lot of stories from authors who had a close connection to adoption. Adopted themselves, had adopted kids or foster children, etc. The problem is that not everyone is popular enough to have like, a Wikipedia page where you can find this out.

 

So, there were a lot of odd emails that were like “hey so… this book about adoption… do you have any ties…” because you can’t just message someone and say “hey are you adopted?” Cause that’s just inappropriate. God knows people asked me that way too many times growing up, and I got in way too many fights as a result.

 

Eventually, I found a lot of my contributors as a result of people recommended other people and sending introductions.

How did writers pick their story or essay topic ideas? What process did you as editor use to vet them? I just asked them to pitch and write whatever they wanted, in whatever genre they wanted. I wanted the collection to talk about as many facets of the adoptee experience as possible, and there are a LOT of them. So I was careful to nudge people in this direction or that, so we didn’t get too many of the same story again and again.


As an editor, were you responsible for contracts between you and your writers? Did your publisher or agent handle the administrative/legal side of things? Luckily my agent and editor handled the contracts stuff. I talked a bit with the authors about things they wanted, and it was all really nice and open, and then my agent and editor handled the actual paperwork. When you have nearly 30 contributors… well, it’s a lot. I’m really thankful for them.


How did the editing process work between you and your writers? It was simple really. I just gave notes, line-edits and the like. In the end, my editor at Flux (hi McKelle!) gave the most detailed edits, really digging in and polishing the stories up. I did run into some challenges here on the editing end that made me extra grateful to have her in my corner. Because I’m really a fan first, and an editor second.

 

Like, how am I supposed to give editorial notes to authors I love so terribly?! EVERYTHING YOU HAVE DONE IS PERFECT, I want to scream. So thankfully McKelle could lend a more objective hand.

Money talk: how did you get paid for your work? I didn’t. There wasn’t an advance on my particular anthology, and when it comes to the royalties, we are planning to donate them to non-profits that support adoptees and foster youth. I’m excited for that first check and to see what good we can do.


What role did you take on as editor of the anthology? Were you hands on? Hands off? I was pretty hands-on. But once it went off to my editor at Flux, I just let them do their thing. I did a bunch of reading and re-reading once we had the digital files and ARCs, of course, and sent notes over when I had them.

 

How did you communicate with your writers? What sort of information did you share with them and how? Lots of emails. Probably to a fault. I hope they didn’t (and don’t) find me too annoying, but I definitely send out big ol’ BCC emails about postcards, events, and the like to everyone. They get all the details.


Where and how did you decide to include your own work in the collection? Pretty early on. I knew I wanted to tell an adoption story as an adoptee. Thing is, I’m not great at writing short stories and I know it. I had a lot of input from my fellow contributors, and they are all just wonderful.

Where and how did you come to “direct” the anthology? Did you have an idea of how you wanted pieces to progress early on or did you wait until all pieces were available to you to begin constructing the collection? I waited til we had some more pieces in. As they were coming in, I was able to ask myself what I was missing.

 

For example, at one point I realized I didn’t have any pieces about a teen parent and their adopted child. What is it like on that end of the story? Luckily, writers like Sangu Mandanna and Lauren Morrill penned stories along those lines, and they were so lovely.


How involved was your editor/publisher throughout the creation process, prior to turning in a manuscript? Very! They gave lots of notes on the stories I’d sent in initially, and bounced ideas back and forth. When some contributors couldn’t quite commit to a story anymore, due to deadlines on their other work, we talked about potential other people to reach out to. They were great.

 

When the manuscript was a complete draft, what was the process when you passed it on to your editor/publisher? I sent it on over almost immediately? I shared stories with the contributors and had some beta readers, but it pretty much went right there.

How did you communicate changes and/or concerns between writer and your editor/publisher? Just via email. They were really easy to work with.


When it came to the package of your anthology, how much say did you have in the cover or design? How much were contributors involved in that part of the process? Welcome Home actually had an entirely different cover before we moved over from Jolly Fish to Flux. It was one that I really adored, so I was a little bummed when they had to change direction. But the resulting cover, with its simplicity and just really clean look, was one I took to right away. We had a few other designs along the way that I was a little on the fence about, and they were very supportive when it came to changes and updates. The contributors weren’t involved, but I did bounce some of the covers off them when I could.

 

What was your favorite part of the anthology creation process? As cheesy as this might sound, finding more adoptees? People with links to adoption? Growing up I didn’t know many kids like me, and finding adults who I could finally talk to about this stuff felt so great. And reading the kind of stories I wanted so desperately as a kid… well, it filled my heart, that’s for sure.


What was your least favorite part? Saying no? I had a lot of people email to be in the collection, and I couldn’t say yes to everyone. That part was really rough.

 

What were some of the biggest successes? Seeing some of the trade reviews float in. My goodness, that has blown me away. And I’m hoping that this book will encourage more people to write stories of adoption.


If you aren’t already working on another anthology, would you do another one? Why/why not? It would have to be the right thing. This was something really close to me, and I’m hard pressed to think of another topic I’d so desperately want to cover. But maybe it’s out there. I’d certainly contribute to another anthology though, hint-hint-nudge-nudge to anyone who might be reading this that’s an author.

 

Teens of Color on 2018 YA Book Covers

|

One of my favorite annual round-ups has been this one: a look at the YA books hitting shelves in the next year featuring teens of color front and center. It’s been refreshing to see this become more common, though as always, we could use more, more, more.

Here’s a look at some excellent 2018 book covers where teens of color are front and center. Not all covers for next year’s books have been revealed yet, so this isn’t comprehensive. Grab your TBR and pop these right on it. All descriptions are from Goodreads.

Know of any I’ve missed from traditional publishers? Lay ’em in the comments.

 

After The Shot Drops by Randy Ribay (March 6)

Bunny and Nasir have been best friends forever, but when Bunny accepts an athletic scholarship across town, Nasir is betrayed. Bunny feels out of place among his new, privileged peers, and Nasir spends more time with his cousin, Wallace, who is being evicted. Nasir can’t help but wonder why the neighborhood is falling over itself to help Bunny when Wallace is in trouble.

When Wallace makes a bet against Bunny, Nasir is faced with an impossible decision—maybe a dangerous one.

 

 

 

 

American Panda by Gloria Chao (February 6)

At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies.

With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth–that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese.

But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?

 

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton (February 20, first in a series)

Camellia Beauregard is a Belle. In the opulent world of Orléans, Belles are revered, for they control Beauty, and Beauty is a commodity coveted above all else. In Orléans, the people are born gray, they are born damned, and only with the help of a Belle and her talents can they transform and be made beautiful.

But it’s not enough for Camellia to be just a Belle. She wants to be the favorite—the Belle chosen by the Queen of Orléans to live in the royal palace, to tend to the royal family and their court, to be recognized as the most talented Belle in the land. But once Camellia and her Belle sisters arrive at court, it becomes clear that being the favorite is not everything she always dreamed it would be. Behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that the very essence of her existence is a lie—that her powers are far greater, and could be more dangerous, than she ever imagined. And when the queen asks Camellia to risk her own life and help the ailing princess by using Belle powers in unintended ways, Camellia now faces an impossible decision.

With the future of Orléans and its people at stake, Camellia must decide—save herself and her sisters and the way of the Belles—or resuscitate the princess, risk her own life, and change the ways of her world forever.

 

Blood Of A Thousand Stars by Rhoda Belleza (February 20, second in a series)

Empress

With a revolution brewing, Rhee is faced with a choice: make a deal with her enemy, Nero, or denounce him and risk losing her crown.

Fugitive

Framed assassin Alyosha has one goal in mind: kill Nero. But to get his revenge, Aly may have to travel back to the very place he thought he’d left forever—home.

Princess

Kara knows that a single piece of technology located on the uninhabitable planet Wraeta may be the key to remembering—and erasing—the princess she once was.

Madman

Villainous media star Nero is out for blood, and he’ll go to any means necessary to control the galaxy.

Vicious politics and high-stakes action culminate in an epic showdown that will determine the fate of the universe.

 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (March 6, first in a series)

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

 

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (April 3)

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

 

Everywhere You Want To Be by Christina June (May 1)

Matilda Castillo has always done what she was told, but when she gets injured senior years, she watches her dreams of becoming a contemporary dancer slip away. So when Tilly gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the summer with a New York dance troupe, nothing can stop her from saying yes–not her mother, not her fears of the big city, and not the commitment she made to Georgetown. Tilly’s mother allows her to go on two conditions: one, Tilly will regularly visit her abuela in New Jersey, and two, after the summer, she’ll give up dancing and go off to college.

Armed with her red vintage sunglasses and her pros and cons lists, Tilly strikes out, determined to turn a summer job into a career. Along the way she meets new friends … and new enemies. Tilly isn’t the only one desperate to dance, and fellow troupe member Sabrina Wolfrik intends to succeed at any cost. But despite dodging sabotage and blackmail attempts from Sabrina, Tilly can’t help but fall in love with the city, especially since Paolo, a handsome musician from her past, is also calling New York home for the summer.

As the weeks wind down and the competition with Sabrina heats up, Tilly’s future is on the line. She must decide whether to follow her mother’s path to Georgetown or leap into the unknown to pursue her own dreams.

 

A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena (February 27)

Sixteen-year-old Zarin Wadia is many things: a bright and vivacious student, an orphan, a risk taker. She’s also the kind of girl that parents warn their kids to stay away from: a troublemaker whose many romances are the subject of endless gossip at school.  You don’t want to get involved with a girl like that, they say. So how is it that eighteen-year-old Porus Dumasia has only ever had eyes for her? And how did Zarin and Porus end up dead in a car together, crashed on the side of a highway in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia? When the religious police arrive on the scene, everything everyone thought they knew about Zarin is questioned. And as her story is pieced together, told through multiple perspectives, it becomes clear that she was far more than just a girl like that.

 

 

 

Let’s Talk About Love by Claire Kann (January 28)

Alice had her whole summer planned. Non-stop all-you-can-eat buffets while marathoning her favorite TV shows (best friends totally included) with the smallest dash of adulting–working at the library to pay her share of the rent. The only thing missing from her perfect plan? Her girlfriend (who ended things when Alice confessed she’s asexual). Alice is done with dating–no thank you, do not pass go, stick a fork in her, done.

But then Alice meets Takumi and she can’t stop thinking about him or the rom com-grade romance feels she did not ask for (uncertainty, butterflies, and swoons, oh my!).

When her blissful summer takes an unexpected turn, and Takumi becomes her knight with a shiny library employee badge (close enough), Alice has to decide if she’s willing to risk their friendship for a love that might not be reciprocated—or understood.

 

Love, Hate, and Other Filters by Samira Ahmed (January 16)

A searing #OwnVoices coming-of-age debut in which an Indian-American Muslim teen confronts Islamophobia and a reality she can neither explain nor escape–perfect for fans of Angie Thomas, Jacqueline Woodson, and Adam Silvera.

Maya Aziz is torn between futures: the one her parents expect for their good Indian daughter (i.e.; staying nearby in Chicago and being matched with a “suitable” Muslim boy), and the one where she goes to film school in New York City–and maybe, just maybe, kisses a guy she’s only known from afar. There’s the also the fun stuff, like laughing with her best friend Violet, making on-the-spot documentaries, sneaking away for private swimming lessons at a secret pond in the woods. But her world is shattered when a suicide bomber strikes in the American heartland; by chance, he shares Maya’s last name. What happens to the one Muslim family in town when their community is suddenly consumed with hatred and fear?

 

Meet Cute anthology by various YA authors (January 2)

Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of “how they first met” from some of today’s most popular YA authors.

Readers will experience Nina LaCour’s beautifully written piece about two Bay Area girls meeting via a cranky customer service Tweet, Sara Shepard’s glossy tale about a magazine intern and a young rock star, Nicola Yoon’s imaginative take on break-ups and make-ups, Katie Cotugno’s story of two teens hiding out from the police at a house party, and Huntley Fitzpatrick’s charming love story that begins over iced teas at a diner. There’s futuristic flirting from Kass Morgan and Katharine McGee, a riveting transgender heroine from Meredith Russo, a subway missed connection moment from Jocelyn Davies, and a girl determined to get out of her small town from Ibi Zoboi. Jennifer Armentrout writes a sweet story about finding love from a missing library book, Emery Lord has a heartwarming and funny tale of two girls stuck in an airport, Dhonielle Clayton takes a thoughtful, speculate approach to pre-destined love, and Julie Murphy dreams up a fun twist on reality dating show contestants.

This incredibly talented group of authors brings us a collection of stories that are at turns romantic and witty, epic and everyday, heartbreaking and real.

 

The Place Between Breaths by An Na (March 6)

Sixteen-year-old Grace is in a race against time—and in a race for her life—even if she doesn’t realize it yet…

She is smart, responsible, and contending with more than what most teens ever have to. Her mother struggled with schizophrenia for years until, one day, she simply disappeared—fleeing in fear that she was going to hurt herself or those she cared about. Ever since, Grace’s father has worked as a recruiter at one of the leading labs dedicated to studying the disease, trying to lure the world’s top scientists to the faculty to find a cure, hoping against hope it can happen in time to help his wife if she is ever found. But this makes him distant. Consumed.

Grace, in turn, does her part, interning at the lab in the gene sequencing department in hopes that one day they might make a breakthrough…and one day they do. Grace stumbles upon a string of code that could be the key. But something inside of Grace has started to unravel. Could her discovery just be a cruel side effect of the schizophrenia finally taking hold? Can she even tell the difference between what is real and what isn’t?

 

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (March 6)

Xiomara Batista feels unheard and unable to hide in her Harlem neighborhood. Ever since her body grew into curves, she has learned to let her fists and her fierceness do the talking.

But Xiomara has plenty she wants to say, and she pours all her frustration and passion onto the pages of a leather notebook, reciting the words to herself like prayers—especially after she catches feelings for a boy in her bio class named Aman, who her family can never know about. With Mami’s determination to force her daughter to obey the laws of the church, Xiomara understands that her thoughts are best kept to herself.

So when she is invited to join her school’s slam poetry club, she doesn’t know how she could ever attend without her mami finding out, much less speak her words out loud. But still, she can’t stop thinking about performing her poems.

Because in the face of a world that may not want to hear her, Xiomara refuses to be silent.

Fans of Jacqueline Woodson, Meg Medina, and Jason Reynolds will fall hard for this astonishing own voices novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet, about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth.

 

 

Ship It by Britta Lundin (Spring 18)

The story of a fanfic writer named Claire who just knows the two male characters on her favorite show are in love, and tries to convince the showrunner to make the relationship happen on screen when she’s invited on a Comic Con tour with the cast.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles (March 20)

When Marvin Johnson’s twin, Tyler, goes to a party, Marvin decides to tag along to keep an eye on his brother. But what starts as harmless fun turns into a shooting, followed by a police raid.

The next day, Tyler has gone missing, and it’s up to Marvin to find him. But when Tyler is found dead, a video leaked online tells an even more chilling story: Tyler has been shot and killed by a police officer. Terrified as his mother unravels and mourning a brother who is now a hashtag, Marvin must learn what justice and freedom really mean.

Teacher Giveaway: brown girl dreaming and Last Stop On Market Street

|

Good Friday, everyone. I don’t know if you feel how I do, but this has been a very long week. One spot of bright news was meeting the goal of funding not only 33 classrooms on Donors Choose in honor of my birthday later this month, but reaching a goal of funding 56 classrooms, in honor of one of my editors, Elise Howard, who also celebrates a birthday very soon. To know we funded 56 class projects in a little over a month is incredible. That’s a lot of kids who’ll have books and school supplies, and all of those kids come from underprivileged backgrounds, so the message they’re getting is not only that they deserve these things, but that we see them and are eager to see them reach their fullest potentials. That they matter.

Over the course of the project, a number of different people have reached out asking if they can donate or give to the cause. Today, I’m sharing an opportunity for teachers to receive one of two books for their classroom.

Thanks to Penguin Young Readers, I have 17 copies of Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena and Christian Robinson, as well as 16 copies of brown girl dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.

 

 

This giveaway will allow teachers to enter for ONE copy of EITHER book. I’ll let it run until all copies are claimed. In order to claim a copy, I need either a school email address for your entry or the mailing address of the school for which you teach. Ideally, these will be classrooms in need, so please, if you can afford to bypass this giveaway, that would be rad. You know your kids and your school, so I’ll trust your judgment!

I will email all winners when the copies have been claimed so you can know to expect a book.