Author Lois Lowry at Bowdoin College

Author Lois Lowry listening to a question from a Bowdoin student.

My son introduced me to Lois Lowry. He'd read The Giver for sixth grade English and thought I would like it. I loved it. Lowry's dystopian novel reminded me of George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm, but The Giver felt darker because it's a children's book. The evil overlords weren't faceless bureaucrats or talking pigs but trusted parents and teachers. A boy who learns the truth must fix a world ruined by his beloved elders. This 1994 Newbury Medal winner defines the Millennial generation. It's a perfectly crafted novel with ageless appeal. The Giver was also one of the books that motivated me to write young adult fiction.

Speaking at Bowdoin College two days ago, Lowry shared her inspiration for The Giver. Her father was suffering from dementia and failed to recognize a photo of his deceased daughter. Lowry had to remind him about what happened to Helen over and over again. She became his memory keeper and a book was born. In The Giver a dystopian society has chosen to forget the evils of the world. Only the Giver remembers everything, and in his old age, he must pass all those memories onto his young disciple. The truth nearly breaks Jonas, a 12-year-old boy who must act as a man.

Although best known for The Giver, Lowry has written over forty children's books. Her first novel, A Summer to Die (1977) was inspired by the death of her sister. Her favorite is Autumn Street (1980), an homage to her grandparents' cook whose child was murdered. Number the Stars, set in Denmark during World War II, won her first Newbury Medal in 1990. She has also written lighter, humorous books for young readers. According to Lowry, the theme that unites all her work is reconciliation.

The author at age three getting a reading lesson from her six-year-old sister Helen. 

Lowry's personal story was interesting too. Born on Hawaii Island in 1937, Lowry moved to New York City right before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Her father was General MacArthur's dentist so the family relocated to Japan during the Occupation. In Washington D.C., her dad cared for the Nixon family teeth. Back in New York City, Lowry won a national poetry competition, which earned her a writing scholarship to Brown. When the poetry book was published, Lowry was horrified to learn that her high school teacher had rewritten her poem. Like many women in the 1950s, Lowry dropped out of college to get married. She later completed her education while raising four kids in Maine. Her first book was published when she was forty. Lowry now has a graduate degree, several honorary degrees (including one from Brown), two Newbury Medals, and four grandchildren. At age seventy-eight she is still writing new books.

Questions for Lois Lowry from the audience at Bowdoin College.

Lowry writes children's books because "kids are changed by what they read." She shared some reader emails and answered the questions of the enthralled Bowdoin students in the audience. Her responses were heartfelt and often hilarious. I'd gone to Lowry's talk with young adult author Maria Padian, and what surprised us the most was how funny Lois Lowry was in person. Lowry shared family photos, news clippings and book covers. A photographer myself, I was impressed to learn that the iconic cover photo of The Giver was one of hers. I remember the challenges of SLR cameras and darkroom photography before Photoshop. She is clearly a woman of multiple talents. I left Lowry's talk feeling inspired.

Simpson's Point in Brunswick, Maine at sunset.

At Main Point Books with Beth Kephart and Craig Johnson

At Main Point Books with Beth Kephart

Last week I spent a blissful couple of days helping my friend, Cathy Fiebach, who just opened an indie bookstore in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Main Point Books is as warm, smart and sunny as its owner. Since childhood, we've shared a passion for good books. It was her dream to open a bookstore and it was mine to be part of it for a few days. How often do you get to live a fantasy?

My favorite job was matching customers' individual tastes with new books, but the hardest work happens behind the scenes. Main Point Books is open 7 days a week, and Cathy is up at dawn placing orders, organizing author events, cleaning the bathroom and doing paperwork. I filed reams of book packing lists/invoices and learned all about Ingram, a book distributer. Empty shelf space indicates recent sales. Cathy's business savvy (a Warton MBA with experience in marketing) is as important as her love of fine literature. Her knowledge, energy and hours are making this bookstore a success. It helps to have such a welcoming and enthusiastic community too. And there's a cupcake store next door!

Many local authors stopped by, and it was a delight to meet (first photo) one of my favorite authors/bloggers, Beth Kephart, in person. I'd asked Cathy to order Beth's two historical YA novels, both set in Philadelphia. Dangerous Neighbors takes place during the Centennial and focuses on twin 16-year-old girls who dare to become involved with boys beneath their social class. Through extensive research, attention to detail and a fine ear for period dialect, Beth brings the past to the present. Dangerous Neighbors is a perfectly crafted novel; it's as tight as a short story with prose as lyrical as poetry:

"Then she steps through the hall and toward the front door, the whisper of her black skirt fading to silence." 

"Katherine saw how his eyes were like pieces of dark green-brown glass, shining and absorbing shine at the same time. She wondered if he'd seen her, then wondered why she cared..."

Dr. Radway's Sarsaparilla Resolvent  (impossible title to remember!) is a companion novel to Dangerous Neighbors. The protagonist is William, the boy with the "green-brown glass" eyes, who rescues lost animals in shantytown. My favorite character was a young goat (I love animals.) DRSR is a Dickensian story with a touch of Steinbeck's Cannary Row and gorgeous illustrations by William Sulit, Beth's talented husband. It's a younger and more masculine story, which I'd recommend to middle school boys and to fans of Dangerous Neighbors who miss the characters. The twins and their feminist/suffragette mother make a few appearances. Locals will be pleased to hear that Beth Kephart is planning a Main Point Books author visit.

Bestseller author Craig Johnson added an unscheduled stop to his book tour while visiting his daughter, who lives near Main Point Books. His Longmire mysteries have become a televised series, and his fans (men and women) came eagerly to hear him speak. Craig showed up in a 10-gallon hat, weathered jeans and cowboy boots, looking like he'd hitched his horse to the parking meter. He spoke eloquently about writing and shared many humorous anecdotes. His aim is to make the reader feel like he/she is sitting beside him on a barstool, not reading a book. Although western mystery is not my genre, I bought The Cold Dish, the first book in the series. Authors take note: you don't need to read your book out loud to gain a new reader, not if the story behind the story is equally interesting. Craig promised to return to Main Point Books - don't miss him.

Author Craig Johnson with Cathy Fiebach, owner of Main Point Books

It was hard to leave Main Point Books, my ideal bookstore. There's a cozy children's corner by the local author section. The big Young Adult section is beside Adult Fiction, making it easier for teens and for adults to crossover. We talked about renaming the Romance section New Adult. Nearly half the stock is non-fiction or memoir. Coming soon will be bookshelf blurbs from store employees and reviewers like me. I shall stay involved, even at a distance.

Follow Main Point Books on twitter for updates.

Reviewer's Disclosure: at my insistence, I was not compensated for my work in the bookstore (beyond food!) or for my reviews. I bought the three paperback books at Main Point Books. Dangerous Neighbors was edited by and dedicated to my new agent (before she shifted to agenting.) My online friendship with Beth stems from my appreciation of her blog and her books. Seems like a theme in my life...

Thank you, followers! Your encouraging comments on my last post helped. Revisions are nearly finished. There will be a final round of polishing once I get feedback from my agent, who is reading again. I haven't missed much summer. It's been raining in Maine for so many weeks on end that I've lost count. Mushrooms are springing up instead of wildflowers in our lawn. I even found one growing in the kids' bathroom (our 1920's home lacks central air conditioning.) When I went to print my manuscript, the paper kept curling up. I had to open a new pack of paper to keep the printer from jamming. This morning the rain has paused, but the trees are hiding in fog. This is my fault for mocking Seattle in my last review. I'm looking forward to catching up on your blogs soon. I've missed you too!

The Knife and The Butterfly by Ashley Hope Pérez: review and cover art story

As I consider which novels to buy in book or ebook formats, the cover factors. A beautifully designed book is a piece of art, but it’s only worth owning if the story is equally good. As an artist and a writer, the intimate link between art and words intrigues me.

Today we have a special guest post (below) on cover art by author Ashley Hope Pérez. The Knife and the Butterfly (February, 2012) is young adult fiction, inspired by a true story of gang violence in Texas.

Blurb: Azael Arevalo wishes he could remember how the fight ended. He knows his MS13 boys faced off with some punks from Crazy Crew. He can picture the bats, the bricks, the chains. A knife. But he can’t remember anything between that moment and when he woke behind bars. Azael knows jails, and something isn’t right about this lockup. No phone call. No lawyer. No news about his brother or his homies. The only thing they make him do is watch some white girl, Lexi, in some cell. Watch her and try to remember.  The knife cut, but somehow it also connected.

My Review: 

How do two lost souls find the truth behind bars? Azael turns to art and Lexi to her journal to come to terms with their troubling past. Azael narrates in a ghetto thug voice, but his compassion for others makes him a sympathetic character. Although her story was well told, I had more troubles relating to self-absorbed Lexi. The resolution of their overlapping narratives was both satisfying and poignantly tragic. The swearing, sex, drugs and violence might irk some conservatives, but none of it is gratuitous. The powerful writing delivers a moral message without sounding preachy.

I recommend The Knife and the Butterfly to mature teens, especially to older boys, and to teachers/counselors of teens at risk. This moving tale about redemption would cross over well to an adult audience too. With its striking cover and meaningful story, The Knife and The Butterfly would be a fine addition to any library. Brava, Ashley and Laura!

Disclosure: this post is part of blog tour organized by the publisher, including a free digital galley. You might remember the author from my review/interview of What Can't Wait.

Guest Post from Author Ashley Hope Pérez: 

Behind the Cover Art

Ashley Hope Pérez

With my debut novel, What Can’t Wait, I didn’t see any of the preliminary covers, just the gorgeous final selection by the Carolrhoda Lab (and Lerner) rock stars. For The Knife and the Butterfly though, my editor Andrew Karre brought me inside the process. Although Andrew and the publisher are the ones with votes, I got to see some of the preliminary cover designs and weigh in on them. 


I saw about a dozen very cool designs; here I’ll show you two contenders and explain why the actual design was chosen and developed. Refining the ideas was a group effort, but the senior graphic designer at Lerner, Laura Otto Rinne, was the main mastermind behind the cover. About her work on this project, she said that she "wanted to create something as complex and meaningful as the novel's prose."

What I loved about this concept was that it incorporated drawing, which is so central to the novel. As is, it’s not the kind of sketch that I imagine Azael doing, but that probably would have evolved. And the cool thing about a sketch is that it plays into the way that everything—for Azael and Lexi—is provisional, still subject to further revision. In the end, though, I thought the overall feel of the cover (especially the banner across the top) was too playful for the tone of the book.

This cover grabbed my attention; I was especially drawn to the subtlety of the Rorschach-esque butterfly. The only thing I didn’t love about the cover was that it failed to communicate something critical about the knife in the novel: it has two blades. Which brings us to the forerunners to the actual cover...

This cover was compelling... the darkness of it, the anonymity of the male figure, how the double-bladed silhouettes fit perfectly into his shoulder blades, and of course how the silhouettes also suggest a butterfly. My concern about this cover—especially in a vampire-saturated market—was that it would play on the “dark fantasy” frequency of Twilight, especially since those silhouettes could be wings... dark angel, anyone?

We’re getting closer to the final design, but we’re not there yet. This cover has this cool double symmetry going on—left-right with the silhouettes and top-bottom with the ampersand as the fold point. Very visually compelling. The silhouette options give the reader an idea of what the knife in the novel is like. I also like how the butterfly is implied but the overall look of the cover remains stark and masculine enough to appeal to guys.

What’s perfect here that wasn’t quite right in the previous cover (in my opinion)? Here, the vertical line with the title strengthens the suggestion of the butterfly without making it too obvious. This is very close to the final cover, with some adjustments to the font (the gothic print was hard for some people to read) and shifts in color allocation.

So that—in my simplified, highly un-specialized rendition—is how I landed the gorgeous cover that the Lerner design team designed for me. Major thanks to Laura Otto Rinne, my editor Andrew Karre, Carolrhoda Lab, Lerner, and all the folks who cooked up all this awesomeness—even what didn’t make it onto the final cover. I am one lucky author.

Click here for more blog tour posts.

Blog Vacation: I'll be offline next week. Next post Wednesday February 22nd.