readergirlz

rgz welcome Jay Asher in July!

2008-06-30T15:36:05Z

Join rgz as we welcome Jay Asher in July! We'll be discussing his work THIRTEEN REASONS WHY.

See the full issue at our website. Then chat with Jay all through the month at the rgz MySpace group forum. At Jay's rgz LIVE! on July 24th, 6 pm PDT, you can hang out with him for an hour. Drop us a comment at the rgz MySpace profile.

Hope to see you there, rgz!

~the rgz divas: Lorie Ann Grover, Mitali Perkins, Justina Chen Headley, and Dia Calhoun

Dance through June with Laurie Halse Anderson

2008-05-31T17:04:06Z

The rgz divas are so happy to welcome Laurie Halse Anderson. Read Laurie's full issue about her novel Prom at our website. Get all the latest updates, her playlist, and the postergirlz recommended reads at our MySpace profile page.

rgz LIVE! is on June 19th, 6:00 pm, Pacific, 9:00 pm, Eastern, at our MySpace group forum. Chat with Laurie throughout the entire month there as well.

Get your prom dresses on, and let's dance the month away, rgz!

~Lorie Ann Grover, rgz diva/author

May with rgz: Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month!

2008-04-30T19:43:02Z

This month rgz is celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with feature author Shannon Hale and her latest work set in Mongolia:

Sneak a peek at the postergirlz and divas' discussion below and then join us at the rgz MySpace group forum to chat with Shannon!

Read, reflect, and reach out, rgz!

Roundtable: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale
What would you do if you were locked up with your friend in a tower for seven years? Five people - one bookseller, one librarian, one huge Shannon Hale fan, and two published authors - gathered to chat about Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale, the readergirlz book selection for May 2008. Luckily, we all brought our keys and our escape plans.

Miss Erin: Before we start, everyone should know that I am one of THE biggest Shannon Hale fans you can possibly find. I would say biggest, but I think the girls at the Little Red Reading Hood forum would protest. Over there, we all pretty much tie for that position. I just thought that everyone should know that Shannon is my hero, and the most wonderful person I've ever met. Now that we've got that clear, let the conversation commence!

Lorie Ann Grover: I'm so glad Shannon was free to participate, Miss Erin. I did hear you hit the floor when you received the news.

Little Willow: Whenever I shelve Shannon Hale's books, I think of Erin because I know how much she enjoys them. Were any of you familiar with the folktale upon which Book of a Thousand Days was based?

Lorie Ann: No, I didn't know of the fairy tale.

Dia Calhoun: I'm not sure. I remember something about a girl being locked up in a tower, but maybe I'm thinking of Rapunzel!

Erin: No. I read it after I read the book, and was astounded by how many of the novel's themes and elements Shannon pulled from the original tale.

Jackie: No, and that's actually the cool thing about Hale's books. They are just dripping with fairy tale goodness, but she always picks obscure enough tales that you really don't know what you are in for. Both comforting and familiar in style, but fresh in content. This is why Erin obsesses.

Erin: Yes. Shannon Hale books are the ultimate comfort reads. Every time I reread one I love it even more (if that is possible!) than I did before.

LW: Do you consider yourself to be a fan of fairy tales and folktales?

Jac: OMG, like, do fairies have wings, and trolls carry clubs? I totally love 'em.

LW: Oh my goodness, Jac just said OMG. I love fairy tales and tales with fairies - the two aren't mutually exclusive - but apparently, Jac's more into trolls than moi.

Lorie Ann: I'm not a huge fan. But I am interested in the classic types you find in fairy tales and how those are repeated through so many different cultures.

Dia: Absolutely! I love the tone of fairy tales and have actually written a picture book in a "fairy tale" voice. I love the simple, clear, strong language. I'd love to try to write a whole book in this voice, but alas, I tend to get too complex.

Erin: A HUGE fan! Fairy tale retellings are my favorite genre of books!

LW: What is your favorite folktale, or who is your folkteller?

Dia: The Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, and Andrew Lang.

Jac: I don't know why, but for some reason the only thing that comes to mind when you ask that question are tall tales, which I do love. My favorite is Clever Beatrice, a picture book. My mom got it autographed for me, and I love it.

Erin: I don't think I have a favorite. I love pretty much every fairy tale in existence. Fairy tales were the first form of fantasy literature I ever read. I read books and books of them when I was younger.

Jac: Oh! Also I love all the Paul O. Zelinsky illustrated fairy tales. Those are just gorgeous.

LW: I love retold fairy tales, especially when they are done well.

Erin: What is your favorite retelling? Shannon's books aside, I love Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier, and, recently, A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce. To name only a few.

Jac: Oh! Ella Enchanted! Yay!

LW: I like Ella Enchanted - better book than movie, by the way - but Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix is great.

Lorie Ann: I also love Donna Jo Napoli's work. Zel still haunts me! I, of course, treasure Dia Calhoun's Phoenix Dance, and Robin McKinley is just brilliant!

LW: Christopher Golden does a phenomenal job retelling well-known stories. For example, his novel Straight on 'til Morning sets the tale of Peter Pan in 1981 and makes it a coming-of-age story AND a horror novel. Brilliant. He also has a trilogy called The Veil in which a modern man must go on a quest with legends from all kinds of myths, such as Jack Frost and Kitsune, with the Sandman as their adversary.

Dia: I love Juliette Marillier's retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. And anything by Donna Jo Napoli.

LW: Which Shannon Hale book is your favorite?

Dia: Oh, what a hard choice. I'd have to say Goose Girl. I think I like it best because it was one of my favorite fairy tales when I was a girl. I particularly remember an illustration of the Goose Girl that I used to gaze at for hours.

LW: To date, I've read four of Hale's novels - The Goose Girl, Princess Academy, Austenland, and Book of a Thousand Days - and enjoyed them all.

Erin: I seriously don't have one. It depends on which I've read most recently.

Jac: This very moment I'm going to say Book of a Thousand Days, but if I ever get around to reading the Goose Girl books - ducks from invisible flying objects coming from Erin's direction - my answer might just change. I do have a special little place in me heart for Austenland, I might add. It's funny, though. Even though Austenland is the one without fairy tale/fantasy elements, it's still sort of a fantasy - just one that we create every time we open a book and start reading about the perfect love.

Erin: JACKIE! READ THEM! AAAHHH! Oh, and "the Goose Girl books" actually have the series name Books of Bayern. Just thought you should know.

Jac: I know, but I was too lazy to go look the series title up before I spoke. Remember who attended TWO Shannon Hale/Libba Bray appearances with you, WITHOUT directions, and getting LOST like five times, JUST to feed your obsession. I'm not full of ignorance. Maybe like, a quarter full...

Erin: Yes, Jackie, you rock. That night rocked. Even the getting lost kind of rocked, once we got un-lost again.

Lorie Ann: While you two carry on, I'll say the images in Enna Burning stay in my mind the most.

LW: I know Erin's answer to this: Do you tend to read and enjoy stories told in diary format? I do. She doesn't.

Jac: I do. There's just something so approachable and, if done correctly, visceral about them. Of course if they were real diaries they'd be painful to read (go ahead, try NOT to cringe at your 12-year-old self's diary), so I much prefer the fictional ones.

Erin: I'm not usually a fan of diary-formatted books. Book of a Thousand Days, however, got the feel of a real journal just right.

Dia: It depends on the book. When it's well done, as in this case, I thoroughly enjoy it.

Lorie Ann: It's not my first choice, but Shannon did so well with the format. In other books, I feel distanced from the dialogue and action - although I do love the Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series!

LW: This book has a cat. Sorry, this isn't a question. This is a statement. Pardon me as I quote Holly Golightly and scream, "CAT!"

Dia: I'm screaming, too. I loved My Lord the Cat. I can imagine what a comfort he must have been to Dashti.

LW: My cats were always a comfort. I miss them terribly.

Miss Erin: If I ever get a cat I will name him My Lord the Cat. Yes, I am that big of a Shan-fan. One of my two favorite scenes in the book (I'm not going to tell either because of spoilers) involves the cat.

Jac: Cat? Oh. right. He was persnickety.

LW: Make that purr-snickety. I can't deal with it when pets don't live in books. I was quite pleased that this cat survived the tale!

Lorie Ann: The cat was wonderful! One of my favorite characters! Did everyone enjoy the drawings? Did they help set the place for you?

Dia: I loved the drawings.

LW: Kudos to illustrator James Noel Smith. Whenever books feature characters who are artists, I yearn to see their paintings or hear their performances. It was so great to see Dashti's artwork within the context of the story.

Lorie Ann: The drawings did enrich the story. They helped me to see, through beautiful lines, this unfamiliar place. Thanks, James! And thanks Shannon for bringing us even closer to Dashti by giving her an artistic hand.

LW: What did you all think of Saren?

Dia: I'm so glad that Saren evolved into a strong young woman. I was so worried for her for much of the book.

Lorie Ann: I, too, was worried about Saren. I also was irritated and frustrated with her. Weren't you all? And then I rejoiced! She grew as much as Dashti, didn't she? In a believable way.

LW: Without spoiling any big plot points, were there any parts of this story that made you cry?

Dia: Dashti's selflessness made me cry. I don't think I'd be able to do that for anyone, myself.

Lorie Ann: No, I didn't cry, but I was very engaged by the story. I love Dashti's voice and the new world she brought to me in such simple lines as this: "It's a shame I don't have fresh yak dung or anything strong-smelling to scare the misery out of her."

Lorie Ann: Didn't everyone love the songs Dashti can sing. Don't you wish you had such powers?

Erin: YES. The power to heal using songs would be amazing.

LW: I love music, and I love singing. I don't long for supernatural singing powers outright, but I'd love to one day hear that the songs I write and sing bring happiness to others!

Miss Erin: Let's talk getting locked away in a tower for seven years with someone. Would you be brave or loyal enough to do that? What would you try to do to keep yourself from going crazy?

Jac: Gosh. It is highly unlikely that I would be loyal enough to that princess to do it. I think maybe if the tower had computer access and a library. Then maybe. But not that tower, or that princess, or those RATS!

LW: I couldn't be locked up anywhere for any duration of time. I am constantly in motion - my legs are dancing, walking, my lips are moving, I'm talking, singing. If and when I'm sitting, my fingers and eyes are moving because I'm reading, writing, typing.

Lorie Ann: For my children, I would. And you can always write. John Bunyan was locked in a tower prison and wrote Pilgrim's Progress. Perfect!

Dia: Does the tower have a big window that looks out onto a splendid ever-changing view? Then maybe, if I had books and paper and a treadmill! But I still think I would want a change after about a month. Is there chalk? Can I draw on the stone walls? Three things I take into the tower with me: Cat. Books. Paper/pen.

LW: I like the sound of that. Let's end the roundtable on that note.

Discuss Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale at the readergirlz forum.

Learn more about the book and its author in the May 2008 issue of readergirlz.

Check out previous roundtable discussions at Bildungsroman.

Operation Teen Book Drop (TBD)

2008-03-19T19:47:02Z

Hey rgz,

YALSA and readergirlz are inviting you to participate in an awesome opportunity!

We are partnering on a second teen literacy project, Operation Teen Book Drop(TBD), after the success of our 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens program last October. To build awareness for April 17, 2008, Support Teen Literature Day, readergirlz and YALSA have organized a massive, coordinated release of 10,000 publisher-donated YA books into the top pediatric hospitals across the country.

We now invite you to celebrate Support Teen Lit Day with us. How? Donate one of your books to your community and join an unprecedented online book bash: The TBD Post-Op Party!

What To Do Now?
· Download a TBD bookplate from here. Paste this bookplate into the book you plan to donate. If you are an author, download this plate.

· Blog about Operation TBD and your upcoming participation, and place the “I Rock the Drop” icon on your site. You can get the code here.

· At the readergirlz MySpace group forum look for the thread “TBD rgz,” and post a reply that you plan to “Rock the Drop.” Watch and participate in other readergirlz MySpace group forum TBD threads as they are posted.

Drop a Book on April 17th
· Leave your book, with a TBD bookplate pasted inside, in a teen gathering spot in your community. Place it where the book will be found, taken, and read. (i.e. a coffee shop, the park, school, a bus stop.)

Join the TBD Post-Op Party, April 17th
· We invite everyone to join our online two-hour book party hosted at the readergirlz MySpace forum, on April 17th (Support Teen Literature Day), at 6-8pm Pacific/9-11pm Eastern. The chat will be in a thread titled "TBD Post-Op Party." The readergirlz divas will be giving away books and prizes!

We've invited so many authors, you just never know who you might end up chatting with! This is the same day all 10,000 publisher-donated books will be dropped in pediatric hospitals across the country, and it is the same day authors and librarians themselves will have released their own favorite books into their communities as you have.

Operation TBD has special meaning to the readergirlz divas. After researching pediatric oncology wards for her novel GIRL OVERBOARD, Justina Chen Headley spent a year purchasing autographed YA novels to donate to her local Children’s Hospital, specifically because most hospitals do not have comfort objects for teens. Lorie Ann Grover (ON POINTE) and Dia Calhoun (AVIELLE OF RHIA) personally know the healing power of stories during hospital stays, since they both live with chronic illness. Mitali Perkins (WHITE HOUSE RULES) has recently joined the team and is eager to support a readergirlz/YALSA special project.

We all know that books give hope. Let's make this an awesome event, rgz!

Read, reflect, and reach out!

Lorie Ann Grover,

and Justina Chen Headley, Dia Calhoun, and Mitali Perkins

readergirlz @ 2008-03-01T17:52:00

2008-03-02T01:56:57Z

readergirlz is wild with joy to welcome the incomparable Sarah Dessen, our featured author for March and our hot topic: TRUTH.

Just Listen is a year in the life of a family coming to terms with the imperfections beneath its perfect facade.

Last year, Annabel was "the girl who has everything." This year, she's the girl who has nothing: no best friend, no peace at home, and no one to sit with at lunch.

Until she meets Owen Armstrong, a music-obsessed boy. With his help, maybe Annabel can face what happened the night she and Sophie stopped being friends.

This is young adult fiction at its best. -- School Library Journal

Dessen weaves a sometimes funny, mostly emotional, and very satisfying story. —VOYA

A Booksense Top Ten Pick
A New York Times Bestseller
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults

Talk with Sarah all month long on the readergirlz group forum. And don't miss our Sneak Peek Lock and Key party on Thursday, March 27 at 12:00 p.m. pst/3:00 EST on the forum. For lots more about Sarah, check out the complete readergirlz issue. And check out our new look for our one year anniversary!

Girl Overboard Challenge Grant!

2007-12-05T20:49:24Z

Thanks to Little Willow for this awesome graphic!

Burton Snowboards and Girl Overboard author Justina Chen Headley, in partnership with Youth Venture, are co-sponsoring the Go Overboard Challenge Grant to fund the best youth-led ideas to change the world.

The Go Overboard Challenge Grant encourages young people to commit to a cause they are passionate about and submit an action plan describing how their team (two or more persons) will "Go Overboard" to create a new, sustainable community-benefiting organization (venture). The challenge grant asks that participants form an entirely new venture to address a problem they have identified in their school, neighborhood, community or the world. The best ideas will win one of 12 grants, each worth $1000, to help them realize their vision.

To learn more about the Go Overboard Challenge Grant, visit www.burton.com/gooverboardgrant

For information on Girl Overboard book and tour, contact Tracey Daniels at 828-859-9456 or tracey@mmpublicity.com

Readergirlz Presents: Best Books for Your BFF

2007-11-20T23:22:50Z

The holidays are here, readergirlz! And what better gift for your BFF than a book perfect for her passion? The divas, postergirlz, and one fabulous bookseller have teamed together to give you the most excellent shopping list for your BFF, designed by readergirlz divas Dia Calhoun and Lorie Ann Grover.

Is she The Girl Who Saves Her Neck for Edward? Jackie's list will do the trick.

Or maybe she's The Girl Who Dances in Glass Slippers. Dia's list is right on.

Check out our list of ten personalities, print out the PDFs, and then shoot over to your local bookstore. Even better, print out all the lists, hole punch the corner, and tie them together with a ribbon. There may be a book you want for yourself as well! Let the shopping begin!

And remember, check out www.2SMRT4U.com for tips on keeping you safe online. They're giving away way cool FREE rings for you and a friend. Slip a ribbon around the ring and you've got yourself a stand-out present topper.

So consider these bookmarks our gift to you & your BFF and our very personal community service project all rolled in one. So read, reflect, and reach out. Happy holidays!

Download postergirl picks as a PDF or JPG

Download diva picks as a PDF or JPG

Some fun ways to dress up your BFF Bookmarks

· * Cut out your bookmarks with zig-zag scissors or other fun designs

· * Decorate with glitter pens, markers, stamps, or stickers

· * Spray with a light coat of pearl or glitter paint

· * Punch a hole in the corner and tie with a ribbon

· * Punch a series of holes around the bookmarks and thread with a cord

· * Use a cute brad fastener or ribbon to group bookmarks together (punch small hole first)

· * Try something new, and have fun!

Our thanks to writer, Holly Cupala, for these fun decoration ideas!

Currently listening :
Noel
By Josh Groban
Release date: 09 October, 2007

Readergirlz Thanks for 31 Flavorite Authors

2007-11-04T22:04:30Z

Poster by Dia Calhoun

Here's a quick round-up of some of the wonderful results from 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens.

31 nightly chats connecting teens with the best authors of today
Girlz (and guyz) who are reading more widely
Publishers Weekly article
School Library Journal article
ALA website announcement
YALSA blog coverage
Beaucoup coverage in the rest of the blogosphere, from children's lit bloggers to library blogs
Library website features, some even making weekly slide shows
Librarians and teachers reading the transcripts with their students
Librarian love at WLMA
Librarian love at the Teen Volume Conference with the Chicago Public Library
Worldwide participation: U.K., Italy, Australia, Kuwait, Spain, France, Argentina, and New Zealand
Publisher websites linked
Publisher newsletters announced 31
Publisher 31 book donations

Thanks to all our 31 Fabulous Authors!

Thanks to all our generous and critically-acclaimed authors who participated in the YALSA-readergirlz mega-event: 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens. We applaud MySpace newbies for braving the teen hangout, and we commend everyone for dealing so well with the MySpace group forum.

As one teen told us, "So I went to the library today and got a HUGE bag of books from all the authors we'll be meeting this month. Hope no other readergirl goes looking at my library because she won't find anything."

Thanks to the three fabulous women at YALSA who celebrate teen reading: Beth Yoke, executive director; Paula Brehm-Heeger, president; and Judy Nelson, former president.

"What an amazing mission YALSA has to engage teens in literature. For many Teen Read Week could be the moment they start their own amazing journey of discovery, through a book in their hands." - Lorie Ann Grover, readergirlz diva, On Pointe

"Just as teenagers must come of age as people, they also must come of age as readers. Teen Read Week puts a spotlight on this transition, and reminds us all of the importance of getting good books to teenagers." - John Green, An Abundance of Katherines

Thanks to our beloved Postergirlz for sending us their author interviews, book reviews and co-hosting chats!

Thanks to the fab teachers and librarians who lurked and posted on the chats -- you know who you are.

And thanks to all the readergirlz and guyz who put off homework (and dinner!) every night to spend time with our amazing authors!

Celebrate with your favorite ice cream

Are your scoops ready?

HOLLY BLACK KICKS OFF LAST WEEK OF 31 FLAVORITE AUTHORS FOR TEENS!

2007-10-28T22:43:10Z

Holly Black kicks off our final week of 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens!!

Get ready to Chat with award-winning author Holly Black tonight at the readergirlz MySpace Group Forum @ 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT

And chat with a New Author Every Night This Week beginning 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT (Special Time for Stephenie Meyer Chat begins 9pm PDT/12pm EDT)

Here's Our Big Scoop on Week Five!

October 28^th Holly Black

Check out readergirlz issue featuring Holly Black complete with playlist, party ideas, and Holly's interview with the divas!

October 29^th Cynthia Leitich Smith

October 30th Dia Calhoun

October 31st Stephenie Meyer

(Stephenie Meyer Chat begins 9pm PDT/12pm EDT)

Come join us for the chat tonight.

Are your scoops ready?

WEEK 4 OF 31 FLAVORITE AUTHORS FOR TEENS!

2007-10-21T20:13:20Z

Sonya Sones starts off week four of 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens!!

Get ready to Chat with award-winning author Sonya Sones tonight at the readergirlz MySpace Group Forum @ 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT

And chat with a New Author Every Night in October beginning 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT

Here's Our Big Scoop on Week Three!

October 21st Sonya Sones

October 22nd Lisa Yee

October 23rd Carolyn Mackler

October 24th E. Lockhart

October 25th Janet Lee Carey

October 26th Gaby Triana

October 27^th Lauren Myracle

Come join us for the chat tonight and each night this week.

Are your scoops ready?

WEEK 3 OF 31 FLAVORITE AUTHORS LIVE CHATS!

2007-10-14T18:29:09Z

Tanya Lee Stone starts off week three of 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens!!

Get ready to Chat with Tanya Lee Stone tonight at the readergirlz MySpace Group Forum @ 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT
And chat with a New Author Every Night in October beginning 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT
Here's Our Big Scoop on Week Three!

October 14^th Tanya Lee Stone

October 15th John Green

October 16th Sara Zarr

October 17th Deb Caletti

October 18th Rachel Cohn

October 19th Kirsten Miller

October 20^th Mitali Perkins

Come join us for the chat tonight.

Are your scoops ready?

Week 2 of 31 Flavorite Authors!!

2007-10-07T19:24:46Z

Ellen Hopkins kicks off week 2 of 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens!!

Get ready to Chat with New York Times Best-selling Author, Ellen Hopkins, tonight at the readergirlz MySpace Group Forum @ 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT

And chat with a New Author Every Night in October beginning 5pm PDT/ 8pm EDT

Here's Our Big Scoop on Week Two!

October 7th Ellen Hopkins

October 8th Justina Chen Headley

October 9th Chris Crutcher

October 10th Ann Brashares

October 11th Sarah Mlynowski

October 12th Cecil Castellucci

October 13th Kirby Larson

Come join us!

Are your scoops ready?
Don't miss a single moment with this amazing lineup!

31 FLAVORITE AUTHORS WEEK ONE BIG SCOOP!

2007-09-29T20:04:59Z

Announcing readergirlz 31 Flavorite Authors for Teens!

Get ready to Chat on the readergirlz MySpace Group Forum every Night in October beginning 5pm PDT/ 8pmEDT

Here's Our First Big Scoop on Week One!

October 1st Meg Cabot

October 2nd Tiffany Trent

October 3rd Brent Hartinger

October 4th Lorie Ann Grover

October 5th K.L. Going

October 6th Nikki Grimes

Come join us!

Don't miss a single moment with this amazing lineup!

Are your scoops ready?

Back to Live Journal!

2007-09-18T15:14:13Z

We are back to Live Journal, everyone! And we are psyched about our joint project with YALSA,

We'll be hosting one YA author every night through the month of October: Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, John Green, Ann Brashares, and 27 more!

The chats will be held in a thread each night at our MySpace group forum.

at 5 Pacific and 8 Eastern. Come join the fun and celebration. Hope to see you there! Feel free to print the poster at our website.

Lorie Ann, readergirlz diva

readergirlz April Pick: On Pointe

2007-04-01T01:44:05Z

Hey all!

I'm so happy to announce that readergirlz is featuring my book, On Pointe, in the month of April!

The issue includes an interview, playlist, community service project, book party ideas, discussion questions, follow-up movie choices, recommended reads, and a slideshow of my personal story. Since my work is heavily autobiographical, it's so cool to share the photos, like the one of my grandfather who was a main character in On Pointe.

I'd love to talk to you about the book at the readergirlz myspace group site
or you can drop me a comment at the MySpace site.

It's going to be a great month. I hope you have fun. We'll be chatting about eating disorders, dance, being tall, pressures from the media and family, and our own dreams: lost and newly found.

Have a happy poetry month! Best in books,

Lorie Ann, readergirlz diva

The Readergirlz March Manifesta

2007-03-01T04:27:33Z

Really, what better day to launch readergirlz than today in honor of Women's History Month?

The girls we write for are going to be tomorrow's history. And our world needs more gutsy girls—girls who will run companies and countries, girls who will become artists revealing new aspects of the world, and girls who will start new community service endeavors that make people's lives better. We need gutsy girls who are limitless in their potential and their dreams.

So every month, we're going to spotlight a different gutsy girl in literature. More than that, we're going to pick books that illuminate a gutsy girl topic—subjects that we think are important for teen girls to know about and think about and do something about. (Don't worry; the books we choose are not those message-y books that hit you over the head with a Theme. Nor are we going to do boring Let's-Analyze-a-Novel-by-a-Dead-White-Guy exercises here.)

As one of our all-time favorite bloggers, the truly remarkable Jen Robinson, told us, "Girls should be reading about characters who aren't perfect, who either have real-life problems and have to cope with them, or who simply make mistakes and have to deal with the consequences."

So readergirlz will be reading across different genres—from contemporary books to historical fiction to fantasy. Our intention is to talk with you about different ideas, expose you to a wide spectrum of authors (some well-known, others brand-new), and introduce you to courageous characters who inspire us, not because they're perfect. But because they're flawed, like us. And are sometimes scared, like us. And have problems, like us. And who still persevere to make a difference.

That's why we chose Patty in Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) to kick off readergirlz. By no means is she perfect. She's not even all that confident when the book starts, partly because she's never felt like she's fit in. Sound familiar? Her feeling of being the odd girl out is intensified by a bully at school.

So this month's Gutsy Girl Topic is Tolerance. Again, to quote Ms. Robinson, teens "need to know that when they are mean or intolerant to other people, they're doing damage."

Let's be clear: bullying isn't the exclusive domain of mean teen girls and bullying boys. (Hello, what's with the Delta Zeta chapter at DePauw University who essentially kicked out everyone in the sorority who was overweight and/or of color? We give a shout out to the sorority girls who quit on principle because beauty and thinness do not equal character and worth.)

We think gutsy girls are ones, like Patty, who learn to stand up for themselves and for others. They can advocate for themselves when they need help. They define themselves, not others. And they definitely do not let others define them. They are open-minded about people and new ideas. And they are the girls who would apply for one of Tolerance.org's Mix It Up grants to tear down social and racial boundaries at school. We challenge you to check out www.tolerance.org for yourself.

Here at readergirlz, we want to know what YOU think make up the other Gutsy Girl Topics. What do teen girls need to know about, think about, and do something about? Share your thoughts. Leave us a comment. Or two.

Thanks for joining the readergirlz movement. We can't wait to chat about gutsy books and gutsy girls with you!

~the readergirlz divas~

Dia, Janet, Lorie Ann & Justina

readergirlz Tour!

2007-02-08T19:21:01Z

To kick-off our readergirlz launch, the readergirlz divas will be going on tour in March. What better month to begin than Women's History Month?

We'll be presenting our fun panel TODAY'S GIRLS, TOMORROW'S HISTORY around the Puget Sound.

First stop - March 8th, 7 pm
Barnes & Noble in Woodinville
18025 Garden Way Northeast
Woodinville, WA 98072

Come on in and share your favorite gutsy girl in lit. For more info on the event contact Jennifer Ulrich at B&N (425) 398-1990.

Hey, what about school visits? The readergirlz are also be traveling to schools! Well be visiting Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, Holy Names Academy, Annie Wright, and Lake Washington Girls Middle School to name a few. We'll present the TODAY'S GIRLS, TOMORROW'S HISTORY panel, engage in lively Q&A, and do other fun activities like a press conference for the the school newspaper. And, of course, sign copies of our books. Thanks to All For Kids Books for bringing our books into the schools.

We'll be extending the tour to libraries, bookstores and other venues in April and May. We'd love to tour more, but we've got an online book community to manage and we've got books to write.

So for those of you who are spread out far and wide across the U.S.A. The readergirlz swear to Virtually Be There!

See you at our site!

~the readergirlz divas: Lorie Ann, Dia, Justina, and Janet

Sign up for our newsletter and visit our stores!

2007-02-06T21:39:02Z

Hey readergirlz!

We are happy to share that you can sign up for our newsletter through Constant Contact. Stay in touch after our launch so you know our pick of the month, appearances, outreach ideas, and other fabulous readergirlz authors. We are eager to gab about gutsy girls in lit with you, so go ahead and sign up.

Also in regards to our coming launch, we've opened two stores to cover our website operating expenses. So check out http://www.printfection.com/readergirlz and http://www.cafepress.com/readergirlz. And let us know what you think!

Here's to readergirlz everywhere! Best in books,

~the readergirlz divas

readergirlz and fabulous KCLS Librarian, Brenna Shanks

2007-01-22T02:09:38Z


At Midwinter ALA, we had a great time meeting librarians! Here's Tina, Dia, Brenna, Janet, and Lorie Ann.

Midwinter ALA Conference

2007-01-22T01:38:57Z

Hey readergirlz!

We had a fabulous time meeting librarians at the Midwinter ALA Conference in Seattle! Thanks to all the librarians who stopped by our booth and helped celebrate readergirlz! We met so many interesting people who are doing such a great job to get the best books into teens' hands. Everyone is very excited about readergirlz and is looking forward to our launch in March!

We took a poll to discover the librarians' favorite gutsy girls in lit and by far the number one answer was Anne of Green Gables. Number two: Pippi Longstocking. Interesting! Don't we all love those characters? But isn't it also great there are so many YA authors today? In 2007, girls have a huge choice of favorite characters to draw inspiration from.

So thanks again to all the readergirlz librarians. Keep up the great work! We're looking forward to seeing you again soon. Best in books! the readergirlz divas

readergirlz @ 2006-12-17T21:18:00

2006-12-18T03:19:53Z

View Poll: Book Club

Launching March 1, 2007

2006-12-18T03:07:12Z

The readergirlz Manifesta

readergirlz is about girls having SERIOUS FUN while talking about books with the author and their friends!

readergirlz is about giving teen girls the INSIDE SCOOP about why the novel was written-the tears and joys and real-world angst that the author has lived and layered into her story.

readergirlz is about getting teen girls to read great books so they get to KNOW THEMSELVES, their friends, and yes, even their mother, better.

readergirlz is about CELEBRATING STRONG GIRLS in books who've got the guts to dream.

And most of all, readergirlz is about INSPIRING GIRLS to make history of their own!