does the entire book lie within its first two sentences? Herman Koch and a Kephart experiment

The only thing benign about Herman Koch's The Dinner is the title—which, like almost everything else about the story, is designed to throw the reader off. "My Dinner with Andre" this is not. Politics, culture, morality, and childrens' lives are at stake (only the first three were at stake in the movie). The questions: What would we do to protect a child who has committed a heinous act? What would we do if we had somehow (implicitly, explicitly) encouraged or modeled or genetically produced an evil creature? Who do we love and why do we love them and what does familial happiness look like? At what cost, secrets?

All this unfolds over the course of a meal in an expensive restaurant. Two brothers and their wives have come to High Civility to discuss a horrific, seamy event. Paul, whose jealousy and creepiness are transparent from the start, tells us the story. He tells us who he is, even as he repeatedly cautions that many parts of the tale are not our business.

It's a brutal, brilliant book (compared to Gone Girl, I think it greatly supersedes it). It's not the kind of book I typically read, it oozes with contemptible people and scenes, but I was riveted by Koch's ability to see his vision through—so entirely relentlessly. And then I got to the paperback's extra matter and an essay by Koch himself called "The First Sentence."

For me, a book is already finished once I've come up with the first sentence. Or rather: the first two sentences. Those first two sentences contain everything I need to know about the book. I sometimes call them the book's "DNA." As long as every sentence that comes afterward contains that same DNA, everything is fine.

Koch's first two sentences, in case you are wondering, are: "We were going out to dinner. I won't say which restaurant, because next time it might be full of people who've come to see whether we're there." And absolutely, yes. The entire book is bracketed within them.

I believe in the power of first sentences, too. I think about them as setters of mood and tone. I wondered, though, whether I could say, about any of my novels, that the entire story rests within the first two sentences. I decided to conduct a mini-experiment. I grabbed a few books from my shelf. Opened to page one. Conducted a self-interview and assessment. I had to cheat in one place only (Dr. Radway), where more than two sentences were required. Otherwise, I'm thinking Koch is onto something here. (And if it is true for my books, I suspect it is true for yours, too.)

From within the fissure I rise, old as anything. The gravel beneath me slides. — Flow

Once I saw a vixen and a dog fox dancing. It was on the other side of the cul-de-sac, past the Gunns' place, through the trees, where the stream draws a wet line in spring. — Undercover

In the summer my mother grew zinnias in her window boxes and let fireflies hum through our back door. She kept basil alive in ruby-colored glasses and potatoes sprouting tentacles on the sills. — House of Dance

There are the things that have been and the things that haven't happened yet. There is the squiggle of a line between, which is the color of caution, the color of the bird that comes to my window every morning, rattling me awake with the hammer of its beak. — Nothing but Ghosts

What I remember now is the bunch of them running: from the tins, which were their houses. Up the white streets, which were the color of bone. — The Heart Is Not a Size

 From up high, everything seems to spill from itself. Everything is shadowed. — Dangerous Neighbors

My house is a storybook house. A huff-and-a-puff-and-they'll-blow-it-down house. — You Are My Only

The streets of Seville are the size of sidewalks, and there are alleys leaking off from the streets. In the back of the cab, where I sit by myself, I watch the past rushing by. — Small Damages

There was a story Francis told about two best friends gone swimming, round about Beiderman's Point, back of Petty's Island, along the crooked Delaware. "Fred Spowhouse," he'd say, his breath smelling like oysters and hay. "Alfred Edwards." The two friends found drowned and buckled together, Spowhouse clutched up tight inside Edwards's feckless arms. — Dr. Radway's Sarsaparilla Resolvent

We live with ghosts. We live with thugs, dodgers, punkers, needle ladies, pork knuckle. — Going Over

If you could see me. If you were near. — One Thing Stolen

Sidenote: In every case, the first two sentences of my books existed within the book in draft one. Sometimes they weren't posted right up front in early drafts. But they always eventually got there.

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I don't know what it says, but I like it (Undercover, in the Netherlands)

It is possible to feel affection to people far away, in other countries—never met, never seen. This morning I am grateful to Callenbach, the Dutch publishing house that beautifully reproduced Small Damages not long ago and today shares Undercover, the first young adult novel I ever dared to write (1997), seems like centuries ago.

And get a load of that pink!

Thank you, Callenbach.

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a robust and thoughtful tween list from Sarah Laurence; some nice news for GOING OVER

I got behind on this day—a book to read and review, some client care, a trip to the dentist, some forever inadequate taming of the jungle of my garden (oh my), and lunch with a friend whose capacious mind is thrilling, frankly, to be near. What he knows. What he thinks. I sit back and listen.

It is not until just now, then, that I have a moment to thank Sarah Lamport Laurence for a list of tween books that has a lot of people talking. People are looking for Sarah's kind of thinking about books all the time, and today she put together a most valued collection of recommended reads for tween readers. I am honored to find both Dangerous Neighbors and Undercover included.

Additionally I am grateful to Junior Library Guild for making today its Going Over day. And I am thankful to Indigo for placing my Berlin novel on its Best Teen Books of 2014 So Far list.

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Lessons in Publishing Longevity: Undercover Sells to the Dutch House, Callenbach

Yesterday, it became official: Callenbach, the glorious Dutch publishing house that released a gorgeous, translated Small Damages two years ago, has purchased Dutch translation rights to Undercover, the first young adult novel I ever wrote and published.

Like Flow: The Life and Times of Philadelphia's Schuylkill River, Undercover first appeared in 2007 and taught me several things about risks worth taking. Like The Heart Is Not a Size, Undercover is vaguely autobiographical—a Cyrano story of a teen who cannot see her own beauty and who relies on words to bridge her to the world. My Elisa writes poems. She has an English teacher who cares. She skates secretly on a frozen pond. She meets a boy named Theo. Her words, she soon discovers, have power. But so, perhaps, does she.

It is moving to think of vestiges of my own Radnor High and adolescence being transported to the Netherlands, under the auspices of a publishing house established in 1854. It is also telling, and hopeful—a sign of optimism for all of us—that books written years ago still live on, somehow. This idea about longevity is perhaps the lesson for me of this year, as Flow, seven years later, emerges as an affordable paperback, and as Undercover begins the process of finding a new audience in the Netherlands, as it has also found in China.

My thanks to Alpha Wong of HarperTeen for negotiating the agreement, and to Amy Rennert, my agent, for letting me know.

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Sister Kim's Girls Overwhelm Me with their Letters (Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls)

It was a busy week leading up to Thanksgiving—five days in Boston, a wind-rushed trip home, four rather complex side dishes to make in time for a fine family meal. And my boy is here—so rare, now, to have him near. So rare, and so I pause and stop for him.

Into all of this came a package from Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls. A brown envelope that held within some of the most moving letters I have ever received. Those of you who read this blog know how Sister Kim came to share two of my novels—Undercover and House of Dance—with her class. You know about the projects they created. But now, through letters, one by eloquent one, I met these girls. I learned a little about their lives. I got to see what it was like to meet me Elisa and my Rosie for the first time.

And I was honored by their presence in my life. 

For the love in these girls' hearts. For the passion that Sister Kim instills in them. For the glory of goodness. For small things that are the biggest things, I am grateful on this day after Thanksgiving. I am blessed that the right readers found these books. And I am once again in awe of the transporting wisdom of younger readers.

Thank you, Sister Kim. Thank you, Every Sweet Little Flower-er.

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Sister Kim teaches UNDERCOVER and HOUSE OF DANCE and her students make me cry

This is how it happened:

This past summer, a celebration of Philadelphia's Literary Legacy that began at the Philadelphia International Airport spilled into an evening at Warm Daddy's along the Delaware River. Among those who celebrated our city that day was a certain Sister Kimberly Miller, one of the biggest advocates for young adult literature—and for young people—anywhere.

I had previously met Sister Kim through our mutual friend K.M. Walton. I began to see her everywhere—at book festivals, at readings, at launch parties. I sensed her through-and-through goodness and her love for her students, and I had some extra copies of some young adult novels to share. And so, that Legacy evening, in a parking lot near Warm Daddy's, I carried boxes of UNDERCOVER, HOUSE OF DANCE, NOTHING BUT GHOSTS, and THE HEART IS NOT A SIZE (not to mention copies of SEEING PAST Z, my book about working with younger writers) from my trunk and lowered them into the trunk of Sister Kim's car.

And then we drove off our separate ways.

Recently, Sister Kim introduced some of those books to her students at Little Flower Catholic High School for Girls. She gave them inspired projects and waited for the work to come in. That work has arrived, and I am blown away by the projects that Sister Kim has photographically shared. There isn't room on this blog to share them all. Each and every single one matters to me, moves me. And when I go to Little Flower in April for an amazing writing day that Sister Kim and K.M. Walton have organized, you better believe that I'm going to be thanking every student personally for caring so much about their work.

Sister Kim is what greatness is all about when it comes to teaching. And her students are nothing short of inspired.

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still clique-less and in the margins I stand

Yesterday, in the Philadelphia Inquirer, I wrote about my love for the Devon Horse Show, how this ten-day event resonated with me as a child and brought me here as a woman in search of a home some two decades ago.

It isn't surprising, therefore, that I spent much of yesterday on my own street corner, watching the carriages go by with my father, and, later, walking the fairgrounds with my husband. Going in and out of stables, sipping a smoothie, watching.

Watching.

It may just be that writer thing. Or maybe it's in my blood. But yesterday, like most days, the parties were going on without me—the annual, tented neighborhood gathering a half block away, the swirls of friends at the lemon-stick stand on the Midway, the backyard barbeques. I've always been the girl who stars in my quasi-autobiographical young adult novel, Undercover—behind the scenes and reliably helpful, called on in a crisis, quietly off the list most other times.

I am a person with so many, many friends—individual, one on one, personal, often invisible. I am also a person without an established community. I think about things like this on holidays. And I am grateful, always, for the horses, and for those who served our country, who stood behind the idea of community.

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UNDERCOVER remembered in "Classics Outside of the Classroom" story in VOYA

I began blogging some nine books ago, right around the release date of Undercover. This was my most autobiographical young adult story, a tale vaguely based on my own days as a striving high school poet with a love for ice, float, and speed, and with an English teacher who took note of all I was afraid to be.

Today my friend Ed Goldberg (of the blog Two Heads Together, among other things) sent word that Undercover has been remembered by Jennifer Miskec and Katy J. Stein in a February 2013 VOYA article called "Classics Outside of the Classroom."

From the article:

Over the last decade, young adult literature has seen a minor boom in the publication of adaptations of classic literature.  What can be an English teacher's best friends, books like Sharon Draper's version of Romeo and Juliet (Romiette and Julio) makes Verona a little more imaginable; Beth Kephart's Undercover, Cyrano d'Bergerac recast with fifteen-year-old Elisa, makes Cyrano just like one of us.  These adaptations can be a useful bridge between the teen reader's own life and the privileged space of classic literature, because authors modernize—and sometimes even sanitize—the famous stories, making them both familiar and educational for a new audience.

The piece goes on to describe a number of YA literary adaptations, including a beautiful long paragraph dedicated to Undercover.

I am indebted to the authors.  I am indebted, as well, to Ed.  I had always hoped that classroom teachers would discover Undercover and make it part of a broader curricula.

Thank you.

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Undercover in Chinese (a nice gift at my door this late afternoon)

Today at Penn we taught each other something about second-person memoir, distance, intimacy, essential remove, and compassion.  B bought us cookies because I, having run long during a lunch-hour interview, was flat out of time.  B is just like that.  We love our B.

At home I found a package tossed up against the door.  It was heavy and, I discovered, pink.  The Chinese translation of Undercover.  I like having a pink jacket all my own.  I like the float of flowers.

I like this.

(A post-dinner post script.  According to this Publishing Perspectives story, Shanghai 99 Readers' Cultare Co. is a rather large entity in China, having published 200 titles in 2008, 65% of which were translations of authors such as Philip Roth, Paul Auster, Stephen King, and Dan Brown.  Its web site serves as one of China's largest online bookstores, and its book club is the only nationwide book club in the country, or at least was at the time this article was published.)

I like this even more.

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Meet the Dear Reader Giveaway Winners

I knew Dear Reader was a happening place months ago, when I was invited to stand in as a guest columnist for Suzanne Beecher.  Dear Reader is where a book-reading community gets built, where book clubs find their inspiration, and where conversations gather speed and force.  For my own guest column, I wrote about the young people I've met in my time as a young adult novelist—the passions they stir and the things they teach, the many ways that I am hopeful for and with them.

It was a special opportunity, and so I did something I've never done before—offered all six of my young adult books (the seventh,the Seville-based Small Damages, won't be out until next summer) as a summer giveaway.  And oh, what a response we have had.  I've heard from school principals and librarians, grandmothers and moms, fathers and grandfathers, uncles and aunts.  I've heard from young writers and young readers, students on the verge of college and students on the verge of applying to master's degree programs.  I've received notes from all across the country and all around the world.  Many readers have asked for YA books featuring a male teen; I'm 6,000 words into writing one of those.  Many described their particular passions, their favorite books.

I had originally thought that I would give all six books to a single winner, sweepstakes style, but as I read these notes through and considered the huge volume of mail, it occurred to me that there were some very right and particular titles for some very particular readers.  Here, then, are the winners, with the lines or thoughts that triggered my own "I have just the book for them" responses.  Please know, all of you, that I read and considered and valued and had a very hard time choosing winners.  I hope you'll look for books that sound interesting to you and let me know what you think.

Undercover, my first young adult novel, about a young, Cyrano-like poet and her discovery of her own beauty, to 14-year-old Kyla Rich, who wrote, "My 12-year-old sister and I love to read. .... you can never read too much, especially with how much you can learn from reading: Learn about the world, about scholarly things that you'd learn in school, or, sometimes, about yourself. I never really knew why I read so much or why I liked it but, as I read your Dear Reader, I realized why. I read to understand, to know beyond myself. Exactly what you said in your Dear Reader. I guess that might be another reason I write. My sister and I are writers, unpublished of course, and we write to craft the kind of books we like to read, to give someone joy, to help someone, maybe even start a craze. We write for even that ONE person who likes our books, even if it is just one. At least someone cares enough to read." 

House of Dance, about Rosie's quest to find a final gift for her grandfather (and her discovery of a wonderful cast of ballroom dancers), to Patricia Corcoran, who wrote, "I'm 63 years old and have read for as long as I can remember. Except for when I was growing up, I didn't read Young Adult books. I don't know why, but I didn't. About 3 years ago, I started reading them and thoroughly enjoy the ones I've read so far. I have 2 grandchildren, Gregory who is 9 and Emily who is 8. Both of them like to read and, of course, I encourage them to do so. I've set a goal for myself to learn more about the young adult books, their authors, the book awards, etc so I can be more knowledgeable in this genre of books. I'm so pleased you have the relationship with these young people that you do.What an enrichment they are to your life and how fortunate you are to realize this. Thank you again for sharing this most enjoyable column. The way you described these young people will help me understand and enjoy the young adult books I will be reading in the future."

Nothing but Ghosts, a mystery that stars a bright young woman named Katie, who has recently lost her mother and is trying to understand how one survives loss (a journey that takes her into the garden of a recluse and into the care of a fine and fashionable librarian), to Lisa Moss, a librarian who wrote, "Our department, technically, covers up to 8th grade. But so many of our kids don't ever leave! Oh, sure, they move on in school and read bigger, not better, books from the adult department - but so many keep coming back to us. They volunteer in our Summer Reading Program. They visit during Spring Break.  They tell us stories from their first jobs. And the first thing they all do is go over to the new YA display to see what's there! Once a connection is made, it is there forever."

The Heart Is Not a Size, about Georgia and Riley, whose bestfriendship is tested when they travel to Juarez, Mexico, to build a community bathroom for a squatter's village, to Janet Valentine of Orlando, who is contemplating joining a teenage mission trip and wrote, "You portrayed teen-agers in such a positive light, my husband will be so happy that I read your column and it makes me lean more towards accepting this ministry.  Maybe I will learn a lot more from them than the other way around."

Dangerous Neighbors, about twin sisters, set against the backdrop of Centennial Philadelphia, to Jean Brady, who wrote, "It is so uplifting to see life from someone else's viewpoint, to walk beside someone solving a mystery, though often fiction; to learn more about decorating, recipes, and the like."

You Are My Only, the alternating stories of a young mother who loses her Baby to mysterious means and a teenaged girl breaking free from a reclusive home, to Pat Harmer, who wrote, "I just read your column that you wrote to fill in for Suzanne Beecher. I was so moved by how you expressed the young people. And I am going to recommend your books to my granddaughter, who will be thirteen this fall. She has yet to find an author that she really enjoys, and therefore does not read as much as I would like her to. And perhaps your books will be the ones that drawn her into the wonderful world of reading. Thank you so much for the inspiration."

My thanks to Caroline Leavitt, the wonderful novelist and friend and Facebooker, who suggested Dear Reader to me in the first place.

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Answering the Zionsville Middle School Readers of UNDERCOVER: A VLOG

A few words to the Zionsville Sixth Graders to Miss Rachel Bing, their remarkable cadet teacher.  I have never managed to talk to a camera without making some silly mistakes.  So please forgive those as you listen.

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UNDERCOVER letters from Zionsville Middle School, final entries in the series

I post now the final UNDERCOVER letters from my continuing series featuring the sixth-grade students of Miss Rachel Bing's Zionsville, IN, class.  See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 for background on this exceptional (high school, as in, Rachel is in high school) teacher and her students.  These letters are breeze and sun, indelible. These letters bring me hope.

From Peyton:

Elisa dropped her mouth in shock, she had won! She had won first place! She ran off the ice into her father’s arms, happy tears running down her cheeks. “Oh, Elisa,” cried her mom, “you were wonderful!” Just then, Theo came up to Elisa, “Can I talk to you?” he whispered. He led her over to a corner. “I want you to know that I’m sorry. I’m done with Lila. When I was with her I was a jerk.” Then he leaned over and kissed her. Elisa looked at him, smiled, and walked away.

Hello Mrs. Kephart! My name is Peyton, I’m twelve years old, I go to ZMS and that is my prediction of what I think would happen after the book ended. Miss Bing is my cadet teacher and she read my class your book, Undercover. When Miss Bing started reading Undercover, I was immediately drawn into it. Every day, she would read us a chapter, but that wasn't enough. We begged her to read more, so finally we were at two chapters a day.

The book was great, but the words you used were amazing. The way you use words is indescribable. One line especially got my attention, “Cruelty is its own brand of hideous.” That was my favorite line in the book. I was wondering you are going to write a sequel to Undercover? I know for sure that a ton of people would read it. Also, are you considering making Undercover a movie? If not, I would consider it. Can’t you see it in your mind? It would be amazing! I too, like you, love to write. I could literally write you pages, and pages, but, we are only aloud to write one page, tops. When I heard that you actually responded, I almost screamed. We were all so happy! Then, Miss Bing said that you said you might feature some of your letters on your blog which made me want to write an even better letter than before. As, we were reading, I was seeing a little bit of myself in each character. Are any of the characters based off you when you were Elisa’s age? I am really looking forward to reading some of your other books, because I will for sure look for them. I hope you know that you are an amazing author and that I hope you continue to write more!

From Ryan:

My name is Ryan and I'm in sixth grade in Mrs. Plantan's class. Miss Bing, our cadet teacher, read us a great book called, Undercover.  This book really inspired me to read more and it taught me not to be mean to people. The character Lila taught me this. I really like the unpredictable plot that was in this book. I think my favorite part was at the end of the book when Elisa's dad was there and her whole family was reunited. My least favorite part was at the end when Lila cut Elisa's beautiful dress for her ice skating concert. You had a lot of great similes and metaphors. I also like the part 1 and the part 2 concepts. Part 1 was more of Elisa writing her letters and trying to be undercover.  In part 2 Elisa is out of her shell and starts to feel content. I also like the symbolism of the marble girl; it reminded me of friendship. It also reminded me to keep my friends and not treat them badly.  It was a really good book and it also was very emotional. It was very hard for me that Elisa's parents were having troubles because I never want that to happen to my parents.  I love the way that Elisa and her sister were in the book, especially when they got along.  I love your book, Undercover and I love listening to people read to me. I don't like reading to myself because there is no expression. I know you like to read in your head and you have people to edit your own books, which you're lucky for that. We only have Miss Bing and Mrs. Plantan to help us and edit our letters. Now I know you have more notes to read so that's enough from me. 

 

From Sam:

The profound effect that those love poems Elisa made had on the females in your book was outstanding!  I never knew a lonely girl would turn out to be an award winning figure skater!  This book showed me how families could get together even in hard times. My family is having some hard times. Now I know that I can count on myself that we will get through it.  I feel like Elisa, or I'm most like her.  I love writing and enjoy doing sports. I am very swift on my feet and don't like to be vulnerable. I have never made poems for anybody before.  Although, I give advice to people to help them with their lives. All of the elements in this book were unpredictable. (In the good way). The plot itself was so good and I was sitting on pins and needles when listening to this book. 

I noticed that part one was more about the literature and part two was more about her personal life.  All of the information that I got was outstanding.  Your book enhanced my vocabulary by 1,000!!!  This happened more in part one.  Part two was more suspenseful then part one to me.  Most of the people in my class said, “NASTY!”  when Miss Bing read the part when Theo and Lila almost kissed.  I was very surprised that Theo and Elisa didn't hug at the end. We all predicted what would happen at the end of the book, or after the skating.  Some people were silly and said that Elisa would die. I didn't believe them. I truly think that Elisa's dad will stay with them and that there family will come together at the end. 

I was wondering why you wrote the book.  Was it because one of the characters in your life is like Elisa?  I have no idea.  The ending was so mysterious.  I have inspiration to do anything.  I could write a book right now and never stop.  Undercover was a very enjoyable book that took some understanding.

My favorite part of the book was when the English teacher gave her the word book and said to start putting her words of her own in the book.  This could also be at end the end about her finishing the book.  This book helped me understand the way of listening to other people and that I must love everybody in my family and to have hope.  Your book gave me hope.

From Zach:

We recently read your book, Undercover.  I was wondering if you ever considered making the book into a movie because I think if you did that, many people who have read the book would like the movie, too. If it did become a movie, I would definitely want to see it because I really liked the book. The book was great because it is full of suspense and you never know what would happen next. I also really liked how Elisa was like an undercover agent and that few people knew that she wrote poems and how she never really saw her dad much because of his job.

 I also wanted to know if you are planning to make a squeal to the book? If you do make it into a book, I hope I get a chance to read that book. If you do, I think I would definitely want to get a chance to read it. I want to thank you for spending your time to read this letter.

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The UNDERCOVER letters from Zionsville Middle School, Part 3

In my continuing series featuring the marvelous, heart-expanding sixth-grade students of Miss Rachel Bing's Zionsville, IN, class, I share with you now the next several letters.  See Part 1 and Part 2 for background on this exceptional teacher and her students.  Know this as you read:  Rachel is but a high school senior. She reads books like UNDERCOVER (my first young adult novel) out loud to her students, then has them, in her words, "play charades with emotions because they will soon be writing their creative stories and they need to know how to be descriptive."

The next several letters, then—candid and exhilarating:

From Jordan:

In class we have a cadet teacher named Miss Bing. She is thinking about becoming a teacher someday and she would want to teach Literature/English. Our teacher Mrs. Plantan gave her permission to read us a book. She chose your book, Undercover. At first no one was excited, because the book didn’t sound interesting. Then that day when she started to read it we all got so into it and especially the drama and poetry. Just recently we finished the book. Everyone is so curious at what would have happened after the ice skating championship. I would think that she would go to find Theo standing there no longer dating Lila, because he finally realized that cruelty is its own kind of hideous. I would hope that Elisa and Theo would get together and create their own happily ever after. I thought that because everyone loves and wishes for a happy ending. That is just what I would want to happen, but my question for you is what would you include in it if you were to write a sequel or follow-up to Undercover? Also since Undercover had such great description and detail it is easy to visualize. My class and I wanted it to become a movie, because we think it would be a great one. Have you ever thought about talking to a movie director and turning it into screenplay? 

You described all of your characters with much detail and personalities of their own. Did you base any of your characters off of you? If not, out of your characters which character reminds you most of you? I remind myself most of Jilly because she is girly, creative, and she loves clothes. Another thing that I loved about the book was all of the similes and metaphors in the book. It made it more interesting. When you heard a couple in a row it made you look up and listen that much harder. Your book for me was one of the best books I have ever heard, because of the amount of passion and creativity put into it. I loved how in the first part it was mainly about the honors English and the secret love letters. Then Part II was more about the drama with Theo and Lila and then Elisa secretly having a huge crush on Theo. I overall loved the book. I am very glad that Miss Bing picked your book, Undercover to read to our class. I am also going to look at some of your other books.

From another Jordan:

Hi, my name is Jordan and I love reading. When I found out that we were going to read one of your books I was really excited. I have some beginning questions for you. What inspires an author to write a book? How does your life relate to any of the characters in your book Undercover? Who is your favorite character in your famous book Undercover? This is what I want to know from an incredible author just like you.

You write amazing books and in our classroom Miss Bing, our cadet teacher chose your book for her to read to us every day in Literature class. Undercover in Part 1 was more about Elisa's writing and all of her love letters that she has written for other people to give to their crushes. Then the second part was more about Elisa trying to bring her family back together and she did at the very end of the book by ice skating. It made you think beyond the book in the ending. I love how Elisa had so much passion for the marble girl and ice skating. Also, each of the characters had their own different personalities, like how Elisa would always go to the pond. The relationship between everybody in the book is amazing. I was wondering if there was any relation to you and Elisa or really any of the characters in this book.

From Joseph:

Theo was like a wave in the beach, repeating to hit the black rocks on the sea shore. When the wave pulls back he is choosing between Lila and Elisa.  Your writing kept me on my toes, wondering what would happen next. I am like Theo, except, I can’t find the perfect friend until the end of the year when I have to leave and almost never see them again except for when I come back to school.

My class and I all believe that this amazing book deserves to be a virtual picture and be placed in the minds of all people that know “cruelness is its own brand of hideousness” and that you can stand up to the popular one in the school and that nothing is in your way and you can chase anything. Elisa isn’t average; she has to chase what she wants. Lila has everything going for her no matter what Elisa does except when Elisa is undercover. This book let me understand that whenever I chase for my dream of writing music I can do it as long as I don't stop running.

I really loved Undercover and I think my class did too. I hope that you will write many more books and please make it into a movie.  

From Julia:

I really enjoyed your book Undercover. I thought it was a very inspirational book. The poetry in part one of the book taught me to love poetry more and to learn it is not as boring as it seems. My life kind of did relate to the book, but I was more connected to some of the characters. I was most connected to Jilly because I always put on lip gloss, make sure my hair is perfect, and I love fashion magazines. This book was very inspirational and my whole class kept begging for Ms. Bing to read another chapter. I liked how Part 1 was more of where it was poetry and she was totally undercover. The Part 2 was more about her family and she was more revealed to the people around her. This book was funny and brought our class more together in discussions and opinions. I thought this was a great book to read and I thought it was a good book for kids to understand poetry and a day in the life of someone without a father and their struggles. Thank you for making such a good book.

 From Kate:

My name is Kate and I am in sixth grade at Zionsville Middle School. My cadet teacher, Miss Bing has been reading our class your book, Undercover. We really enjoyed it and our cadet teacher is very nice. I personally liked the part at the end where Elisa is competing at the ice skating rink. I like how Elisa's ice skating brought her family back together. The only part I thought was a little weird was when Theo and Elisa almost kissed (I am glad they didn't).

I was wondering what the end meant because I assume that her family got back together and I hope Elisa's dad is there to stay, too. I don't know what will happen with Elisa, Theo, and Lila. Every time the story turned back towards Elisa and Theo I was afraid they were going to kiss. I am a tomboy and I am disgusted by thought of people kissing. Other than that, I thought Undercover was interesting. Although, I was worried that another “nasty” moment would come up again between Elisa and Theo. I compare to Elisa because I like nature and the outdoors. I also like to ice skate along with my family. I would never want my dad to be gone that long like Elisa's dad was. I have a really close relationship with my dad like Elisa does and I wouldn’t want my mom and dad to separate for a while either.

This book really inspired me to be a better artist just like Elisa became and even better poet. I think your book is amazing and I cannot believe that I am able to write to you. You are a great model for my class and me. You showed us how important it is to love your family and not let it tear you apart.

From Lindsey:

My name is Kate and I am in sixth grade at Zionsville Middle School. My cadet teacher, Miss Bing has been reading our class your book, Undercover. We really enjoyed it and our cadet teacher is very nice. I personally liked the part at the end where Elisa is competing at the ice skating rink. I like how Elisa's ice skating brought her family back together. The only part I thought was a little weird was when Theo and Elisa almost kissed (I am glad they didn't).

I was wondering what the end meant because I assume that her family got back together and I hope Elisa's dad is there to stay, too. I don't know what will happen with Elisa, Theo, and Lila. Every time the story turned back towards Elisa and Theo I was afraid they were going to kiss. I am a tomboy and I am disgusted by thought of people kissing. Other than that, I thought Undercover was interesting. Although, I was worried that another “nasty” moment would come up again between Elisa and Theo. I compare to Elisa because I like nature and the outdoors. I also like to ice skate along with my family. I would never want my dad to be gone that long like Elisa's dad was. I have a really close relationship with my dad like Elisa does and I wouldn’t want my mom and dad to separate for a while either.

This book really inspired me to be a better artist just like Elisa became and even better poet. I think your book is amazing and I cannot believe that I am able to write to you. You are a great model for my class and me. You showed us how important it is to love your family and not let it tear you apart.

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The UNDERCOVER letters from Zionsville Middle School, Part 2

On Saturday I began to feature the first in a series of letters from the sixth-grade students of the truly passionate and creative cadet teacher Miss Rachel Bing.  Find out more about Miss Bing (a high school senior) and her remarkable, loving students here.  My father captured some of my own thoughts last night when he wrote, about these students, "The comments from the students were very mature and the writing quality much, much better than I would have imagined sixth graders could produce."

Today, I'm running the next several letters, as a celebration of what a teacher can teach and of what students can do.  I've promised to answer all the students' letters in a final blog in this series.

From Evan:

My name is Evan, if you might have heard our sixth grade class decided to read your novel, “Undercover”, because a young adult teacher named Miss Bing came in to observe our class and see what we do. Throughout the book we kept notes, learned literature, and even tried to listen intently. The plot of the book had such profound meaning and suspense. Every chapter was leading to the next and every time that we would meet our two chapter quota for the day, we would beg for one more. I have to say that everyone in our class loved your book. We all took it all in and adored it. Like my teacher Mrs. Plantan says, we have to enjoy books like these, like a sweet bar of Belgian chocolate.

 I do have a few questions about the book though; do the characters have any relation with your life? Does Elisa win the skating competition, or does something else happen? Lastly, if you would make a second book for Undercover, would you?

To make a book that is as adored as Undercover, I know that you must be very busy, so all that I would like to say is, thank you for writing this book, and thank you for your time to make Elisa, Theo, Lila, and Elisa’s parents sound like they could hold a conversation with us, because of their complex personalities and moods throughout the novel. I hope that everyone that has read your book has found the thought behind the nature box, the skating competition, and even the marble girl, to be part in one of the best books they have ever read. This is what I have found about this novel. It is made for everyone to enjoy.

From Hannah:

Your book, Undercover, has some very life-like characters. I think the character I relate to most is Elisa. I may not be so creative with words, but I am creative with pencils. My poems are in art, not in words. I also am undercover (or at least I try to be). I don't like to meddle in the affairs of the popular, only in my own little world, do I actually be bold. My life is also like Elisa's. I help give advice to those who need it, and try to help people, in almost every way I can. 

My favorite part of the book is when Elisa is saying her part in the play, and can't continue because she feels like she is being uncovered. I like that part because it almost is explaining what she does and this has happened to me when we were reading an in-class book. I felt exposed as I read, embarrassed even.

Throughout the book, you learn more about this mysterious character named Elisa. At the beginning, you hardly know anything, and by the end of the book, you feel like you have known her your whole life. In the words you write the story with, it feels like I am right next to her, living each day as if I were an undercover operative, hired to watch her.

Our class enjoyed reading this book so much that we thought it would make a good movie. 

Thank you for writing this book. I have enjoyed reading your marvelous work. Your work gives me hope that someday, I might write a book that is as great as yours. Right after reading, Undercover I wanted to start writing, and never stop. Thank you.

 
From Emily:

When my class read Undercover as a read-a-loud book, we all loved it. Who would have thought that Elisa could be an ice skater, and who would have thought that would bring her whole family together!? I think that the idea Dr. Charmin had with the book of words was great. I would like to do that, it would help me write.

I could put some words that you used in Undercover in it. The words you used helped to improve my vocabulary. They were all great descriptive words, and they made the story more interesting and helped it come alive. 

Have you thought about writing a sequel to, Undercover? I would love it if Theo broke up with Lila and got together with Elisa. They would have to get together secretly though so Lila doesn't do anything bad to Elisa. Our student teacher suggested that Jilly will get revenge on Lila for ruining the dress she made for Elisa to wear at the ice skating competition. When Jilly gets revenge, it will be embarrassing and it will ruin her reputation. I like that idea, even though revenge is not the key. 

From Emma:

We recently got a cadet teacher named Miss Bing. She is going to be a teacher one day. We were in the school library one day and she found your book and thought we might try it out. When we first started reading it we thought it was not going to be as good as it was. I like how you put so many metaphors in your book. It just made the book even better. In your book I think that I relate to Jilly the most. I think this is because she is creative and very girly. Jilly is also my favorite character in your book. I think that you did a really good job picking your characters, and making their personalities different.

I really enjoyed your book, and I think it was a great story for my age group and class. I was wondering if you ever thought about making your book into a movie. If you haven’t then if I were you I would really look into it, because I think it would make a great movie. If you have, have you thought about the scenes and who the characters would be?

I like how you made two parts to the book. Part one was mostly about the love letters and poetry Elisa made for Theo to give to other girls and part two was more about Elisa’s family, love, and skating. I think that you made the book very realistic because Lila was the popular girl and always trying to take over and she liked Theo and always tried to steal him away from Elisa. We just finished your book a couple days ago. We all loved your book, and we were so sad when it was over. I thought that it was a great ending because it does not really matter if she won the skating contest; all that matters is that her family got back together.

From Hari:

This year we read your book “Undercover” in our literature class. First I want to congratulate you on how good it was. I loved the end where it just leaves a cliffhanger and leaves me to think about what will happen next in the story. Just a question, in my opinion this book is one of those books that absolutely needs to be made into a movie. Why hasn’t it yet? What would you put in a sequel or prequel to the book? Those are the questions that first came to mind when I read “Undercover”.

My suggestions for a sequel would take place right after the skating competition and in the middle of the book Theo breaks up with Lila or Lila breaks up with Theo. Then, I would put in a cliffhanger after they break up, where Theo is mad at Lila and Elisa for reasons unknown. (You choose because you are the author). That is a beginning for a sequel.

My idea for a prequel is here. The book takes place before Elisa is in high school. It would show how they become best friends and then how they grow apart and become friends again. (Two parts because it might be too long for one.) That is my idea for a sequel or a prequel.

Thank you again for the amazing book. Good luck Mrs. Kephart.

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The UNDERCOVER letters stream in from Zionsville Middle School; p.s.: these students want a movie!

A few days ago, I introduced Rachel Bing of Zionsville to readers of this blog.  Rachel is the Zionsville Community High School senior who has been reading Undercover, my first young adult novel, to the sixth graders of the local middle school—gaining their attention, eliciting their responses, and encouraging them to write their own stories.

Elisa, the protagonist and narrator of Undercover, is a young poet who dares to see and define the world in unique ways; her special gift also leaves her on the margins until a certain English teacher (Dr. Charmin) and an engaging young man (Theo) draw her out of a place of loneliness and toward a kind of belonging.  Do words separate us, or do they unite us? They can, of course, do both, but Rachel is clearly a unifying angel—a young woman who asked her students to reach all the way from Indiana to Pennsylvania through the bridge of letters.

Over the next few days, I'll be running these exceptional, smile-inducing, happy-tears-provoking letters.  I begin with the first five.

Alison writes:

Hello, my name is Alison, and I attend Zionsville Middle School. My peers and I read your book “Undercover”. I enjoyed reading your book and think it would make a fantastic movie. In “Undercover”, Elisa, a girl with the gift of poetry finds herself going through hard times with her family. Once you start liking the book you realize that the title, “Undercover” was created because Elisa writes letters for boys to give to girls which is ‘undercover’. If I were a character in your book, I would probably be Elisa because I am quiet and love to turn anything into a story. Also, I think I could be Jilly because I am an older sister out of two. I can also understand Elisa’s stress because I moved to Zionsville two years ago and when I moved, I was so sad that I couldn’t see my friends that often anymore. I made new friends and am happy to be in Zionsville now and I like my teachers at Zionsville Middle School.

My class and I couldn’t stand not knowing what would happen next in your amazing book. The suspense was taking over me and I was taking in every word like dessert after dinner. Your book changed my way of thinking about what can happen to a person just because of their poetic writing. When my cadet teacher, Miss Bing read “Undercover”, I was extremely overcome by the abundance of words in your story, which pulled me into your book. I have read many books in my life time, but this book was one of the best books I’ve read and I was amazed at how well you wrote about Elisa’s emotions. I hope that you keep on writing spectacular books that my class and I will love. I also hope that you will try to turn your book into a movie because it would definitely make a superb movie. I wish you good luck in any other book that you are working on and thank you for writing your extremely, beautifully written book. It changed me.

Alex writes:

Undercover is a book that leaves you thinking- it was an unpredictable plot! It was written very well with romance, friendship, love, family, and poetry! A situation in my life is actually related to when Elisa wanted Theo to like her and she cared about him. Elisa could feel her getting jealous of Lila and Theo together. It relates to me because I have wanted a lot of things to happen my way, and you’d just have to find out what happens! I liked how you didn’t make Part I and Part II about the same thing. You focused on two major points. Part I was about the letters that Elisa wrote and about love. Part II was about figuring out things with family and friends. One point I specifically liked about the book was the suspense because you never knew if Elisa was ever going to be with Theo again. If you really thought about it, Undercover would make a great movie! You should definitely contact someone about that! The character that I most relate to is Elisa. I relate to Elisa the most because I always bump into situations where I just want everything my way sometimes. It kills you when something terrible happens right in front of you, like in the book, Elisa always having to watch Lila with Theo- Theo, her love. At the end of the book, the ice skating competition seemed to bring everyone together. It brought Theo and Elisa back together, and especially Elisa’s family that struggled to keep it together with Elisa’s dad and mom “crumbling down.” Some themes in this book were friendship and love.    Undercover has taught me some lessons, such as to stay true to yourself. Elisa gave up on Theo for a while because she never thought he would leave Lila. Also, another lesson was believing in yourself and other people. This lesson relates to how Elisa thought that her family was just going to break apart when her mom and dad didn’t seem to love each other anymore.

Anthony writes:

My name is Anthony and I am in sixth grade.  Recently my teacher read out loud your book, Undercover, and I thought it was an outstanding piece of work and you have amazing talent.  I wanted to know where you came up with this idea and does this book relate to your life?  Your story was amazing and I was also wondering how you came up with part two. In part one, Elisa was just a girl who wrote poems and was an undercover high school student.  Also, have you ever thought about making this novel into a movie? I was also wondering if you were going to make a sequel to Undercover and show what happened to Elisa and Theo after the skating competition and Elisa's life. I would go see your movie the first day it came out.  I'm sure you would make the movie an outstanding story because of your great talent and creativity.  What I've learned from your book is that even though you can be pretty, you can also be very mean.  In the book Lila was the girl that every boy wanted to date, but Lila was also mean when she cut up Elisa's dress and when she got jealous of Elisa. I can relate to Elisa's character because I am a good writer too and I like to write stories just like you. I was inspired while listening to your book and I hope to see a sequel or a movie in the near future!

Cameron writes:

In class we have been reading your fabulous book Undercover. I love Undercover not only for its amazing story but mostly for its incredible grammar, metaphors, and similes. I would love for you to make a movie out of this. It would be so cool. I would see it the first night it came out. Even though I am a boy that has read Undercover I don't really take it as a girl book. I take it as a book that everyone can learn a lesson from. What I learned from this book is that some people can be really pretty on the outside, but their inside could be dark and evil, making them ugly even though they are pretty. I also learned that your family will always be there for you no matter what.

 Charlie writes:

In my 6^th grade class we have had a student teacher come in. Her name was Miss Bing. She has emailed you before. I bet you have heard from her. Anyway, she read us one of your best- selling books, Undercover! I thought that it was a pretty good book. It had poetry, romance, and other things that I liked. Also I liked it because there was two parts to it. The first part was about Elisa writing love poems for other people. The second part was kind of about getting her family back together and skating. Also I wanted to know if or how this story related to your life? Also, I wanted to know what you like specifically about the book?

 Did you know that I am writing a book too? But, enough chit chat about me let's get back to the book. I really thought that this book can make a huge movie. You should ask some directors to make your book a screenplay. Just think about it! Undercover on the big screen! You could even get to walk the red carpet. I think you should totally write a second book. I have even thought of some ideas! Maybe Lila gets another boyfriend and she tries to get revenge on Theo!

Also I thought that your book had an amazing ending. I thought it had a good ending because it brought everybody together. Also I had another question. What lessons did you learn from this novel? Please share. I was also wondering if some of the characters were based off of people in real life. Some other things that I wanted to say was that I liked how Elisa stuck out from the rest of her family because her family was girly and Elisa wasn't just “girly” she didn't try to be girly she was herself.

Also I thought that it was cool how Elisa and her sister's relationship grew as their parents started to separate. I thought that was very creative. Maybe their parents going separate ways for a while was a good thing.

Thank you so much for writing this amazing book. My favorite part of the book was when Lila ripped Elisa's dress because it showed the power of Lila and how Elisa overcame it and still performed. I love a happy ending.

I'm still drying my tears, reading this letters.  I'm imagining myself in that classroom with Miss Bing and her students.  I'm going to answer everybody's questions in the final blog in this series.  For now, Zionsville Sixth Graders (and Miss Bing), just know that I'm listening and that I am deeply moved.  A sweet Easter weekend to you all.   

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Rocking the Drop

I rocked the drop with The Heart is Not a Size and Undercover in support of Teen Lit Day today. 

Get out there, or get here, and check it out!

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Savvy Verse & Wit reviews Undercover

In the midst of launching new books or struggling to write them, we are reminded, by gracious souls, of stories that did once make their way into the world; we are reminded that that is possible.  Serena Agusto-Cox affords me that gift this morning, with her kind review of Undercover, my first novel for young adults, and the most autobiographical of them all.

Thank you, Serena.

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Dangerous Neighbors, the sequel?

My friend Adam (he of knowing all-things-garden fame) wrote just now about Dangerous Neighbors, a note that echoed my friend John's note of a while back, and Ed's note of even longer ago, and Mandy's, too.  What they said is their own business.  What it has all made me think is this:  Perhaps, if I am lucky, Dangerous Neighbors will earn its sequel (as I had always hoped Undercover would; I'd planned the whole thing in my mind).  And if it does, I know the story I will tell, I know where I would go, I know how much I would enjoy going and being there.

Time will tell.  I will wait for time.

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The Problem Parent: Julie Just on the adults in young adult fiction

Julie Just has an interesting essay in this weekend's New York Times Book Review—a piece that offers not just a history of sorts of young adult literature, but a stimulating rumination on the role that parents play in stories written for younger readers. "...in the classic stories, from 'Cinderella' to 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,' the hero's parents are more likely to be absent or dead than cruel or incompetent," Just writes. "In fact, it's the removal of the adult's protective presence that kick-starts the story, so the orphan can begin his 'triumphal rise'...."

But the sands have shifted, Just suggests, with many recent, highly lauded books starring parents who are, in Just's words, "mopey, inept, distracted or ready-for-rehab...." Hmmm, I thought, looking back over my own shoulder at, for example, Undercover, in which Elisa's much-loved and attentive dad is away on a consulting assignment, leaving a wife who, yes, it's true, tends toward the distracted. Then there's Rosie's mom in House of Dance—abandoned by her first husband and now looking for love in all the wrong places, leaving Rosie's dying grandfather to step into the void. In Nothing but Ghosts, Katie has lost the mom she loves to cancer and now cares for a dad who, in his absent-minded fashion, cares enormously for her. In The Heart is Not a Size, Georgia's parents are a well-meaning, involved presence, but they can't cure Georgia of her panic disorder (they do not even suspect that it exists), while Riley's (also undetected) anorexia springs in part from her reaction to a mother who is nothing if not distant.

Just's essay has me thinking, this morning, about how my young adult plots are ultimately facilitated by the role I've given to the fictional parents. Elisa could have never consistently escaped to that pond to write and to skate, for example, had her mother been paying more attention; she therefore would have never come to see the beauty in herself. Rosie would not have grown to love her grandfather—or found a way to honor him—had her mother been a better mother, or daughter. Katie, without her special relationship with her dad, would have never successfully wrestled with the mysteries of loss. And had Georgia been raised in a different kind of home, with a different set of values, on a different foundation, she would not have found what she had to find in Juarez—which was a sense, among other things, of her own inner strength and possibility.

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Sarah Laurence takes us to the ponds of Maine...and Undercover

Don't spend a second more on my blog today. Head here, to Sarah Laurence's beautiful blog—rich with her photographs and musings on books and the writing life. This week she's featuring an interview with me (my favorite teen books, my assessment of teen readers, a never-before-seen photo of me in high school, among other things) and a review of Undercover. But more than that, she's sharing her own lovely sensibility. I urge you to take a look.

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