#KidsNeedBooks

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ 1 Comment

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A few weeks ago, my friend Ann Braden — author of the forthcoming MG novel The Benefits of Being an Octopus — did something pretty amazing. Inspired by a blog post from Donalyn Miller and moved by a flurry of tweets from educators expressing frustration, sadness, and even fear about the fact that their students were soon leaving school for summer break and wouldn’t have any books to read until they returned in the fall, Ann picked through her shelves and put together a stack of books that she was willing to part with. Educators interested in the books simply needed to retweet Ann’s tweet in order to enter the giveaway.

I saw Ann’s tweet, and was inspired to do what I could to help. That same night, I went home and put together a stack of my own. All the books were ones that I had read and enjoyed, even loved, and that I had purchased with the intent of having them on my shelves forever. But as soon as I considered the fact that there were a tremendous number of young readers out there who, for one reason or another, were facing the prospect of being book-less all summer long, it wasn’t very hard to part with even the most beloved of these books.

The next day, a couple more authors joined Ann and me. And the day after that, there were a handful more. Ann had got the ball rolling — and pretty soon the thing was just racing along. Up to a dozen new stacks were offered on every one of the following days. As of this post, nearly 90 authors have joined our little movement, and well over a hundred stacks of books have been given away. And these stacks were by no means small. Some contained 20 or even 30 books. Officially, the #KidsNeedBooks crew has given away over 500 books. But a huge number of books have been shipped out unofficially, and by my estimate, we’re closer to 1,000. (Below are the stacks I’ve so far given.)

As wonderful as this has all been, it is, sadly, not nearly enough. Our country is riddled with so-called “book deserts,” but all of us authors behind #KidsNeedBooks are committed to doing everything we can to continue flooding these places with books. We have been and are looking forward to working more closely with educators and librarians in a number of ways and on a number of projects, not only to get books into their students’ hands, but also to connect and engage with kids in other ways. As I’ve said before, kid lit authors and educators are colleagues, all of us united in our mission to enhance and enrich the lives of kids. When we work together, we can do more, and do it better.

Click here and here to read more about #KidsNeedBooks at Ann’s website. Click here to read coverage of the #KidsNeedBooks movement in the School Library Journal. And click here to sign up for the #KidsNeedBooks newsletter, through which we’ll keep you updated on our activities and alert you to opportunities to get involved.

ENGINERDS in California, Nerd Jersey, and Illinois!

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ 2 Comments

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted here, but there are two pretty good reasons for that. The first reason is that I’ve been busy putting the finishing touches on Revenge of the EngiNerds, the sequel to EngiNerds. The second reason is that my farting bots and I have been crisscrossing the States, visiting schools and bookstores all over the place!

Back at the end of March/beginning of April, I was out in California, where I visited a couple of great schools in the Los Angeles area.

While I was out there, I also had a chance to grab coffee with two California-based MGers — Dana Middleton (author of The Infinity Year of Avalon James and Open If You Dare) and Danielle Davis (author of Zinnia and the Bees).

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After that, it was on to New Jersey — or should I say NERD Jersey. I was heading there to attend nErDcampNJ, but went a few days early to do some school visits. The visits were excellent — and were so even before one amazing fan gave me a box of EngiNerds-themed cookies and chocolates she’d had made!

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Like all nErDcamps, nErDcampNJ was simply incredible. I learned so, so much, and left feeling more fired up and inspired than ever.

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The morning after camp, I stuck around to visit a local Barnes & Noble with fellow authors Sally J. Pla, Melissa Roske, and Rob Vlock. The event was educator-focused, and our panel was moderated by one of the best educators out there: 5th grade super-teacher Nicole Mancini.

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My time in New Jersey served as a powerful confirmation of the fact that authors and educators are colleagues, and that at the end of the day, we’re all working toward the same goal: to get the books that kids both want and need into their hands when they want and need them most. The more that authors and educators connect and collaborate, the better it will be — both for us and, more importantly, for the kids we serve.

After New Jersey, I was back home for just a couple days before I was on the road again — this time to Illinois. I visited schools in Northlake, Elburn, and Lisle, and also met up with some bookish friends in Chicago.

Next up is nErDcampVT, brand new this year! After that I’ve got a couple of events here in Massachusetts, and then I’m off again — first to Kansas for nErDcampKS, then to Denver for that city’s ComicCon, and then on to Michigan for nErDcampMI! It’s going to be a busy, nerd-filled summer. After which it’ll be time to gear up for the launch of Revenge of the EngiNerds!

Stay nerdy, friends!

ENGINERDS is a 2018 Global Read Aloud Finalist!

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ Leave a comment

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Inspired by a story she heard on NPR, educator/author Pernille Ripp began the Global Read Aloud in 2010. Her idea was simple, but bold and beautiful: to get as many kids, in as many classrooms, to read the same book, and then connect with one another in order to share their thoughts and discuss.

The GRA began small — but quickly became enormous. Check out these participant numbers:

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Last year, in 2017, it’s estimated that more than FOUR MILLION kids participated. The connections made — between kids and kids, between teachers and teachers, between human beings and BOOKS — are priceless, and are doing an enormous amount to help make the world a better, brighter, more hopeful place.

It is a tremendous honor to simply have my book nominated for such an awesome project — and the honor is all the greater considering the five other nominees are from some of my all-time favorite creators. If you haven’t read books by the other authors, I encourage you to do so. Like, today. Like put them on hold at your library RIGHT NOW or go out and buy them (or, in the case of THE UNICORN RESCUE SOCIETY, preorder it — that one pubs April 10th).

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If you want to vote, you have until March 20th, and can do so here. And once again: a big, giant, enormous THANK YOU to Pernille Ripp for everything she does to help turn kids into lifelong book-lovers and readers, including creating and growing the Global Read Aloud.

Smack Dab in the Middle Author Festival and Upcoming Events

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ Leave a comment

Last weekend, I participated in Dedham, Massachusetts’s first annual Smack Dab in the Middle Author Festival.

It. Was. AWESOME.

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The event was sponsored by the Dedham Public Library, the Blue Bunny Bookstore, and the Dedham Library Innovation Team, and thanks to the hard work of all these incredibly creative, highly organized individuals, the day was a tremendous success.

It all began with a handful of us authors running writing workshops for aspiring young writers. Though “aspiring” isn’t all that accurate a word — the kids in my group are already astoundingly talented. The story ideas they shared with me were so exciting, I made them promise to go home and start writing them so that I can read them all someday!

Next up were authors panels. We were broken up into three groups:

  • FANTASY, featuring Marcykate Connolly, Ammi-Joan Paquette, Erin Petti, and Tui Sutherland
  • CONTEMPORARY, featuring Victoria Coe, Lee Gjertsen Malone, Peter Reynolds, Anna Staniszewski, and Susan Tan
  • SCI-FI, featuring Katie Slivensky, Monica Tesler, Rob Vlock, and me!
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Photo courtesy of Rob Vlock.
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Photo courtesy of Melissa Lee.

Moderator Janet Reynolds got each panel going by asking a question, such as, “Where do you get your ideas?” Authors took turns answering, and also occasionally got into conversation with one another. After that, the audience had a chance to ask questions. There were some excellent ones. Scholastic Press Corps Kid Reporter Maxwell Surprenant asked us sci-fi authors what role our parents played in shaping our career trajectories, and also wanted to know the most important thing we’d learned from them. Middle Grade fiction fans not there in person could still take part in these panels, as each of them was live-streamed on Facebook. Throughout the day, there were well over one thousand out-of-town readers tuned into the event.

The final part of the event, however, was something that you had to be there in person to enjoy: a book signing! All of us authors set up shop in the main room of the Dedham Public Library. We signed books and, even better, got a chance to chat with local kids, parents, and educators. I also learned about a brand-new independent bookstore opening up in just a few weeks in West Acton, Massachusetts — the Silver Unicorn. The owner of the bookstore stopped by to check out the event and spread the word.

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Photo courtesy of Rayna Freedman.

All in all, it was a jam-packed but totally fantastic day. There’s nothing better than connecting with young readers, and the Dedham Public Library, the Blue Bunny Bookstore, and the Dedham Library Innovation Team offered all of us authors a wonderful opportunity to do so. The event serves as a testament to the importance of public libraries and independent bookstores in our communities. Fun, inspiring, life-enriching events such as these would not happen without them. So make sure to get out there and support YOUR local libraries and independent bookstores — for your sake, for your community’s sake, and for the sake of the book and reading community at large.

For more on the Smack Dab in the Middle Author Festival, read Maxwell Surprenant’s write-up of the event here, or Ariane Komyati’s write-up for Dedham Wicked Local here.

. . .

If hearing about the Smack Dab in the Middle Author Festival got you fired up to attend some book events, you’re in luck! I’ve got a bunch of them coming up, and at each I’ll be in the company of some truly excellent authors. Below is a list of where I’ll be, when I’ll be there, and who I’ll be with for the rest of the month of March. I hope to see you out there!

Saturday, March 17: Barnes & Noble Framingham Spring Author Festival

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with Jannie Ho, Diane Magras, Gina Perry, Heather Lang, Jen Petro-Roy, Sarah Jean Howitz, Rob Vlock, Lisa Rosinsky, Sara Levine, Gregory Katsoulis, and Carol Gordon Ekster

12:00 pm — 4:00 pm
Barnes & Noble, Framingham
1 Worcester Rd, Framingham, MA 01701

Sunday, March 18: Book Signing at Savoy Bookshop and Cafe

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with Kara LaReau (The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters series, The Infamous Ratsos series)

2:00 pm
Savoy Bookshop and Cafe
10 Canal Street, Westerly, RI 02891

Saturday, March 24: Barnes & Noble Burlington STEMlit panel

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with Katie Slivensky (The Countdown Conspiracy), Monica Tesler (Bounders series), and Rob Vlock (Sven Carter & The Trashmouth Effect)

11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Barnes & Noble, Burlington
98 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA 01803

 

Kid Lit Mentorship Project: News & Updates (02/06/18)

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ 4 Comments

KLMP

The application period for the Kid Lit Mentorship Project closed one week ago today. We received over 100 applications from kids all across the country, every one of them passionate about writing and eager to improve their craft with the guidance of an author-mentor. It is now up to Jenny, Jenn, Brooks, and me to review all of these applications and each choose a mentee to work with — and believe me, it is not going to be an easy task. These kids are beyond impressive. A few months ago, when I first launched this project, I said that I thought it’d be us, the mentors, who would learn the most from our mentees during the course of our work together. Looking over these applications, I’m more convinced than ever that this will turn out to be true.

If a child or student of yours applied to the Kid Lit Mentorship Project, please ask them to hang tight while Jenny, Jenn, Brooks, and I make this difficult decision. Once our mentees have been selected, ALL applicants will receive a note from us, and those young writers who did not get chosen will have an opportunity to either: (1) ask us a specific writing-related question or for some more general advice about writing, or (2) have a short sample of their writing critiqued by one of the four of us.

Thank you to all of you who encouraged the young writers in your life to apply to the project. I look forward to sharing more news and updates with you soon.

World Read Aloud Day 2018

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ 2 Comments

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What. A. Day.

Today is World Read Aloud Day, and I spent it virtually visiting (via Skype) 15 different classrooms all across the country. I went to Missouri, to Illinois, to Wisconsin, to Illinois again, to New York, back to Illinois (they seem to really like me there!), up to Canada, back down to Michigan, over to New York, on to Iowa, BACK to Illinois (seriously!), and then finally way out west to California.

In every classroom, I did the same thing. Something so simple — but oh so wonderful and oh so very important. I read aloud. That’s it. I cracked open a book and I read it.

Kids who are read to every day benefit enormously from the experience. This has been shown by the academics, and is proven again and again on a daily basis in schools across the country and all over the world. To be able to spend this special day reading aloud to so many kids (by my count, somewhere between 300-400!) is a true honor — and also a tremendous amount of fun.

Thank you to ALL the educators out there who make reading aloud to their students a priority, an essential part of each and every day. And thank you especially to those teachers who invited me into their classrooms to read on this wonderful World Read Aloud Day. I am filled to the brim with gratitude and joy, and feel more inspired than ever to wake up tomorrow morning and continue to do everything I can to make a positive impact on kids’ lives.

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Interview on the Books Between Podcast

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ Leave a comment

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Last month, I had the honor of being interviewed for one of my favorite podcasts — Books Between, hosted by the brilliant Corrina Allen, which focuses exclusively on Middle Grade literature and the people writing and reading it. I’ve been a devoted fan of Books Between for a long time now. It is the place to go to learn about all the hotly anticipated upcoming releases and to hear in-depth interviews with the movers and shakers of the MG lit community. To be featured on an episode is a special treat.

You can listen to the episode (and all past episodes of Books Between!) on any device you normally use to listen to your podcasts. You can also find it here. Give it a listen to hear me chat with Corrina about EngiNerds, its sequel, the power of the perfect metaphor, Project Runway (seriously!), the Middle Grade Book Village, the Kid Lit Mentorship Project, what I’m working on now, and more!

Enjoy!

Signed Copies of ENGINERDS at Porter Square Books

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ Leave a comment

 

It’s officially the holiday season, and for me that means time with family, fun with friends, lots of delicious food, and — wait for it — BOOKS! Books make the best gifts all year round, but they are especially great to give for the holidays, when everyone’s got a little time off from work or school and can actually sit down and get some reading done.

If you’re buying books this holiday season and want to gift someone a copy of MY book, you can now make sure it’s signed by yours truly thanks to the awesome humans at one of my local independent bookstores, Porter Square Books.

To do so, simply order your copy of EngiNerds here. As soon as you do, the wonderful folks at PSB will send me a note letting me know, then I’ll swing by the store, probably buy a bunch of books, maybe (definitely) have a scone from Cafe Zing, and sign your book (after washing my scone-y hands, I promise). PSB will then ship the book wherever you want it sent.

And should you want a signed copy of EngiNerds after the holidays, don’t worry — this isn’t a temporary offer. You can use the link above to get signed copies any time you want. And while you’re there, don’t forget to browse some of the other great books PSB offers signed copies of.

Happy holidays!

And happy reading!!!

Kid Lit Mentorship Project: News & Updates (12/05/17)

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ 2 Comments

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It’s been a week since I first posted about the Kid Lit Mentorship Project and the response so far has been fantastic. All the parents, teachers, and librarians I’ve heard from or spoken to about it have been as excited as I am, and the applications I’ve been getting from kids are just incredible. So incredible, in fact, that I was seriously nervous I’d never be able to pick just one kid from among the many who have already applied and will continue applying. Lucky for me, I no longer have to. Instead, I’ll be able to pick FOUR kids — and I’ll have some help picking, too.

That’s right: THREE additional authors have joined the Kid Lit Mentorship Project. And these aren’t just any old authors. These are three of Middle Grade literature’s absolute finest, and every one of them wants to find a young writer to mentor. They are looking to critique that writer’s work, and to offer the advice, guidance, and encouragement needed in order to bring a large-scale project to completion.

But I know you really just want me to hurry up and tell you who these three other authors are. So, without further ado, joining me as mentors for the Kid Lit Mentorship Project are . . .

Jenny Lundquist

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Jenny is the author of six novels, most recently The Wondrous World of Violet Barnaby, the follow-up to 2016’s The Charming Life of Izzy Malone, which Publisher’s Weekly called “a heartwarming coming-of-age journey [in which] Lundquist deftly portrays the pain of being odd girl out, both at school and at home.”

 

Jenny was born and raised in Huntington Beach, CA, the original “Surf City USA.” She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Intercultural Studies with a minor in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) at Biola University. Her favorite part of college was spending one semester living in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, where she drank lots of tea, met some really interesting people, and honed her Yahtzee skills. She’s painted an orphanage in Mexico, taught English at a university in Russia, and hopes to one day to kiss her husband at a café in Paris. She lives in northern California with her husband Ryan, their two sons, and Rambo, the world’s whiniest cat.

You can learn more about Jenny online at www.jennylundquist.com or follow her on Twitter at @Jenny_Lundquist.

Next up:

Jenn Bishop

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Jenn is the author of The Distance to Home, which Booklist praised for its “vivid writing and compassionate touch,” and 14 Hollow Road, a “gorgeous summer tale” (Erin E. Moulton) in which she “nails the tween voice” (Booklist).

 

Jenn grew up in a small town in Central Massachusetts. A lifelong reader, she was formerly a youth services and teen librarian. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago, where she studied English, and Vermont College of Fine Arts, where she received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Along with her husband and cat, Jenn lives in Cincinnati, where she roots long-distance for the Red Sox.

You can learn more about Jenn online at www.jennbishop.com or follow her on Twitter at @buffalojenn.

And finally:

Brooks Benjamin

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Brooks is the author of My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights, which Booklist called “a fresh and winning debut about the power of self-expression” and Kirkus praised as “an earnest first novel with a solid message about finding out who you are on your own terms.”

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In sixth grade, Brooks formed a New Kids on the Block tribute dance crew called the New Kidz. He wasn’t that good at dancing back then. But now he’s got a new crew—his wife and their dog. They live in Tennessee, where he teaches reading and writing and occasionally busts out a few dance moves. He’s still not that good at it.

You can learn more about Brooks online at www.brooksbenjamin.com or follow him on Twitter at @brooksbenjamin.

. . .

Keep those applications coming! I’ve already received a ton of great ones, and am so glad that, thanks to the generosity of the authors above, FOUR young writers will get to take part in this exciting project. You can find the KLMP application here, and can link to it from anywhere on my site using the menu at the top of the page. Questions? Send me a note using the form on my Contact page.

Kid Lit Mentorship Project (K.L.M.P.)

~ Jarrett Lerner ~ 3 Comments

One of my favorite parts of being an author is visiting schools and classrooms, and one of my favorite parts of visiting schools and classrooms is getting to meet so many young writers. I always let teachers and librarians know that I am up for sticking around after my presentation/Q&A in order to host a group workshop or meet one-on-one to critique and discuss kids’ work. It’s so inspiring to meet young people passionate about books and the written word, and if I can do anything at all to help make them better, more confident storytellers and communicators, I want to do so.

The only bad part about all of this is that I never have enough time to really get to know a writer, and so can offer no more than a little bit of assistance and advice. Only so much can get accomplished in a single group workshop, and when I do one-on-one meetings, I have to keep them short so I don’t leave any kids out. I’ve been wondering for a while now how I could go about changing this, how I might figure out a way to work with and help young writers in a more long-term, sustained manner – and I think I’ve finally got it. Announcing:

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Starting today, I will accept (very short) applications from young writers between the ages of 9 and 14 to join me on a writing journey. I am looking for a kid who is passionate about writing and who wants to continue to learn and grow as a storyteller. What I am offering is to work closely with this one young writer on a large-scale project – a novel, a memoir, a collection of short stories – and serve in any capacity they see fit. I can remain an advisor/editor, or join them as more of a co-author. And my role can, of course, change as the process moves along. Basically, the kid will make the decisions, not me.

Communication between the young writer and myself can be conducted however they (and their parent(s) and/or teacher(s)) choose. E-mail, phone calls, Skype meetings – any or all of the above. My goal is to help a young writer complete the project they’ve envisioned, and to celebrate the highs and support them through the lows involved in such an undertaking. At the end of the process, I will cover the costs to get a certain number of copies of the book printed and bound so that the young writer can experience the thrill of holding a book they wrote in their hands, and also so that they can share their story or stories with others (online e-book publishing options can also be explored).

I will start accepting applications immediately, and will continue to do so through January 31, 2018. I haven’t set a timeline or mapped out any specific schedule for this project, as that will need to be worked out once a young writer is selected, and all of it will depend on their schedule (as well, of course, as mine). My hope is that any kid interested in submitting an application will have a parent or teacher “sponsor” to help facilitate and schedule contact between myself and their child or student. This sponsor could then remain as actively involved as they deem necessary and appropriate.

Click here to access the application, or link to it in the menu above. Questions can be sent to me through my Contact form (also located in the menu above) or on Twitter (@Jarrett_Lerner).