DAY 7 OF AMADI'S SNOWMAN GLOBAL VIRTUAL TOUR

Hello everyone, and welcome back! 

Becky, a Youth services librarian and author of the book blog In the Pages, has a review up today, and... tatam... a giveway ! Stop by for a chance to win a copy of Amadi's Snowman.

And now, as promised yesterday, the questions asked by the children of Nsukka to the children of Hyderabad, and the answers :

1. Does snow fall in India?  What is your weather like?  
Yes, snow falls in India, but not in the south, where we live. In the North, up in the mountains of the Himalayas, there is snow.

2. How many seasons do you have?  Is it different in northern and southern India?  (We notice that southern India is also near the Equator.)

We have three seasons, Winter, Summer, and Monsoon, which is the rainy season. The difference between the North and the South is mainly in the temperatures. It gets cool in the south during the winter, but in the northern parts of India it gets really cold.

3. How many religions do you have?  What are your major religions?  Are there Christians in India?  Christianity is the major religion in Igboland.

We have four major religions and all are represented in our two classes: Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and Sikhism. Buddhism and Jainism exist in India as well, but they are not as big. Hinduism is the largest one.

4. What are your favourite foods?

We love pizzas, and pasta, even though they are not typically Indian dishes. We also love Paneer Butter Masala, which is a dish made with paneer (South Asian cheese) cooked in a buttery tomato sauce. In India, a lot of people are strictly vegetarian, which means they don't eat any meat, fish or poultry, and sometimes not even eggs. 

5. What are your favourite sports?  We like football, chess, table tennis, basketball.

We also like football and cricket. And also badmington, tennis, and indoor games like chess or carrom.

And this concludes our visits at the Vidyaranya School of Hyderabad, in India.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Except a living man there is nothing more wonderful than a book! a message to us from the dead -- from human souls we never saw, who lived, perhaps, thousand of miles away. And yet these, in those little sheets of paper, speak to us, arouse us, terrify us, teach us, comfort us, open their hearts to us as brothers." Charles Kingsley

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Tomorrow will be another busy day : I have a conversation with Amy Lundebrek, author of Under the Night Sky, also published at Tilbury House ; we begin a two-week-long author chat on Library Things; and we continue with our "Where in The World is Amadi?" feature. See you then...

DAY 6 OF AMADI'S SNOWMAN GLOBAL VIRTUAL TOUR

Hello everyone, we have a full, exciting and happening day, today. First, we swing by 5 Minutes for Books, where they're "reading into everything." And this time, it's Amadi's Snowman. Visit their website for a review written by Lauren, a former elementary school teacher and reading specialist.

And now, we go to Hyderabad, in the south of India. This used to be the Nizams' princely state before they joined the Union, a year after India's partition, in 1947. The Nizams' wealth was one of the greatest in the world and their jewels are legendary. The enormous diamond that graces the crown of the Queen Mother of England is believed to have been found in the mines of Golconda, a long time ago. The city is also famous for its Biryani, a delicious - and hot! - dish made with goat, rice, onions, curd, lemon, spices and saffron.

This picture shows the Charminar, one of the great landmarks of Hyderabad. Built in 1591, it has four soaring minarets. All around, the streets bustle with activity. One side street is called Bangle Lane, and it is lined with little shops that sell, you guessed it, lots and lots and lots of tinkling, shiny bangles.

From there, let's return to the Vidyaranya High School, in Hyderabad. On my first visit there, I gave the fourth graders blank cards and asked them to think about what it means to them to be able to read. They used one side of the card to help them focus on the question, and once they'd come up with an answer, I went around the class, and together, we chose one word or a few that best expressed their feeling about reading. They wrote them again in big letters on the other side. 

Below are pictures of the experiment.

                                    Showing their cards

                                                                  

                                  

"To me reading is my favorite hobby. Reading, I think is enjoying. Books hold a lot of knowledge and fun. Once I start reading a book I can't stop until I finish it because I am always curious to know what happens in the end. In short, I love reading."

And below are scans of some of the longer ones... As they're not as clear as I would have liked to, I have copied each little essay below. 

Mandisha says : "Reading is important to me because it helps me and when I'm reading a book, I get to know new thing and good Masala and that is why I want to become a librarian. I get to know about great people and it even helps me in my studies."

Masala, by the way, means "spice blend" in Hindi. I think that Mandisha means that she gets to know new things, and also a blend of knowledge.

Ramsha says : "If I can read a sentence, I can also understand it. I can also learn something new. Or if my mother is going out, she leaves a chit behind and I have to read it and do whats written, for example : wash the cabbage or peal the potatoes or even give the dog food. I also help my parents in driving my mom read the road signs. My grandmom is an authorist and she keeps getting letters from people and she certainly has to read them." 

Brahma says: "I feel that it's important to read because in each page I learn a new thing and I feel enthusiastic."

This note was not signed. It says: "1. Reading is interesting and there are new stories. 2. We can learn new things. 3. I has new kinds of pictures. 4. We can learn new spelling. 5. We can tell it out to somebody if he's bored."

When I read this note, I first praised the author for being honest, and said that I didn't blame her for not wanting to read boring books. I then asked her if she thought that Amadi's Snowman was boring. 

She exclaimed : "Oh no! Amadi is not boring, he's fun. I really like him because he's like me, he doesn't want to read." 
"Mm, in that case, it seems to me that what you hate is not reading books, but boring books. Maybe all you need to do is to look for books that you don't find boring. What do you think?" 

She appeared to find the concept interesting, and I'm happy to report that on my second visit, when I asked the children whether Amadi's story had somehow changed the way they view reading, or if it made them want to read more, that little girl raised her finger and nodded enthusiastically, along with the others.

As mentioned in a previous post, the children in Nigeria sent their own set of questions to the children in India. I'll be posting them, along with the answers, tomorrow.

Thank you to all the fourth graders at Vidyaranya High School. Thank you to their teachers, Mrs Mini Alex, and Mrs. H. Kanchana, for their warm welcome. And last, but far from least, thank you so much to the principal, Mrs. Shanta Rameshwar Rao, for opening up her school doors to me with such enthusiasm and her contagious passion for books, stories and life. You have all made my very first school visits an experience I will always remember fondly.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Books are the bees which carry the quickening pollen from one to another mind." 

James Russell LOWELL
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Tomorrow we continue to publish excerpts from the conversation between the children of Nsukka and the children of Hyderabad, and we'll also have a review and a giveaway at In the Pages; and of course our daily "Quote of the Day" feature. See you then...

Obama is the new President of the USA

Amadi and I feel we MUST suspend the tour just long enough to mention how deeply happy we are, today. I had my 8 year old daughter play hooky from school, this morning, so she could witness the historical moment when Barack Obama was declared the new President of the United States. It was a very emotional moment, with tissues being passed around, especially when Obama delivered his speech and mentioned the 106-year-old lady who voted, after having witnessed all the changes that her country has gone through in her lifetime. 

Like my daughter (above in the white and red t-shirt), Obama had a white mother and a black father, and he's a Third Culture Kid who lived in Asia as a child. AND, as I mentioned with strong emphasis, his mother used to wake him up every morning at 4 AM to tutor him in English before he went to school. I make her work on her French when she comes back from school every single day, and she doesn't like it anymore than Obama did. Yes, I have no shame and I will use anything to make my self-imposed duty easier :)

Congratulations, Barack Obama !  And thank you for giving the world so much hope !

DAY 5 OF AMADI'S SNOWMAN GLOBAL BLOG TOUR

Today, we visit the Paper Tigers blog where Janet Brown interviewed me. You'll find drawings from my visit at the Vidyaranya School of Hyderabad, in India, as well. 

Janet is a bookseller, a fellow expatriate, and the author of "Tone Deaf in Thailand," to be released by ThingsAsian Press, in April 2009. 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS AMADI?

Today, our bi-weekly feature takes us to Lyon, France, where Alice and her little sister, Kim, are reading "Amadi's Snowman".

Kim seems very interested in Amadi's mango, and looks like she wouldn't mind getting a bite.

Please, continue to send me pictures or your children reading "Amadi's Snowman", at katianovet@gmail.com. At the end of the tour, a lucky winner will win a special prize.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The greatest gift is the passion for reading. It is cheap, it consoles, it distracts, it excites, it gives you knowledge of the world and experience of a wide kind. It is a moral illumination." Elizabeth Hardwick.

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Tomorrow we continue with our visit at the Vidyaranya School, in Hyderabad, India. There will be more pictures, and the children of Vidyaranya will tell and show us what reading means to them. They'll also answer the questions that the children of Nsukka, in Nigeria, asked them. See you then...

DAY 4 OF AMADI'S SNOWMAN GLOBAL BLOG TOUR

Today, we visit the very interesting blog of Sandhya Nankani, Literary Safari. Did you know, by the way, that "safari" is a Swahili word that means "trip?"

TUESDAY QUIZZ

Each week, we'll ask three questions about a detail in the book, or something that was mentioned in the tour during the previous days. 

1. What is Amadi stalking, in the first page of the book?

2. What are the languages spoken in the area where Amadi and the children of Nsukka live?

3. When Amadi's mother first talks to him, she tells him not to "run around like ..." ? Like what?

Send your answers to katianovet@gmail.com. We'll pick the correct ones, and randomly select a lucky winner at the end of the tour.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page." St Augustine.

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Tomorrow, we'll be at the PaperTigers blog for an interview and a sample of drawings from my visit at the Vidyaranya School, in Hyderabad, India. See you then...

DAY 3 OF AMADI'S SNOWMAN GLOBAL VIRTUAL TOUR

As Amadi announced it yesterday, we're going to Nigeria, today. But first, you can find a review of Amadi's Snowman at My Readable Feast, where Anne-Marie, a busy professional blogger, brings "families together with children's books and a pinch of cooking."

And now, on to Igbo Land, and the Children's Center library, at the University of Nsukka, which is the first indigenous university in Nigeria. The Children's Center was founded in 1978. 

When I first wrote to Professor Virginia Dyke about the book and the blog tour, she responded enthusiastically and promised that she would do her utmost to have the children of Nsukka participate. 

We had to fight logistical difficulties like getting the book to travel all the way to Nigeria on time, but it finally did, as you can see below.

                                   

One of my goals, when I started thinking about this blog tour, was to involve as many children as possible, from as many places as possible, in a conversation about books and reading, and anything else they wanted to know about each other.

Thanks to the Internet, my idea was not so far-fetched.

When I visited a local school, here in Hyderabad, India, I asked the children to tell me what they would like to know about the children in Nigeria.

Here are the questions from the children at the Vidyaranya High School, in Hyderabad, India, (the post, this coming Thursday, will be dedicated to my visit there)  and the answers from the children of Nsukka, in Nigeria:

Do you have a winter in Nigeria? Is your winter so cold that you have to cover yourself up?

We have no winter in Nigeria. Nigeria is close to the Equator, which means there is no winter or summer. We have two seasons - the rainy season from about April to October, and the dry season, from about November to March. The temperature in Nsukka stays about the same all year round - between the high 60s and low 90s F, mostly in the 80s. Day and night are about the same 

The children listen to the story 

(above) and search the globe to 

locate the Equator (below).    

                                                                  

length, too. It gets dark between 6 and 7 p.m. throughout the year. The weather can be chilly (in the high 60s or 70s F.) some days in the rainy season and in early morning and at night during harmattan in the dry season. Then we may wear sweaters to cover up.

Do you know what snow is? If you know, have you actually seen snow?

No one in the group has seen snow, but we have learned about snow from books, pictures, and films. In fact, two books the children had at the story hour, one on polar bears, and one on bears, had pictures of snow.

What is the dry season? Do you feel really hot at times?

The dry season lasts from sometime in November to March or April. During that time there is hardly any rain. The plants turn brown, many trees lose their leaves, and everything gests very dusty. Sometimes, especially in the morning, dust haze fills the air and planes can't fly. The 

 Talking about snow (above) 

and drawing activity (below). 

temperature can get very hot, especially during the day, but it can be chilly at night and in the early morning. In both dry and rainy season we often feel very hot when the sun is shining.

Do you speak English in Nigeria?

Yes, English is an official language in Nigeria and is spoken by many people, especially in school and at work. There are many Nigerian languages, including Igbo, a major language and the language of our area. We speak Igbo more at home, at play, and when we go to our hometown in the village, and also during Igbo lessons in school.

What foods do you eat?

Fried plantains are a favourite. We also eat rice (white rice, jollof rice, coconut rice) with stew ; pounded yam or garry with soup (made from okwa, melon seed and other local ingredients with grapefruit, avocado, guava, udala (African apple), ube (local pear), jackfruit, imported apples.

What books do you read? What are your favorites?

We read many books. Some favorites are the Harry Potter books, Chronicles of Narnia, Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books, Famous Five and other stories by Enid Blyton, and for the younger ones, tortoise and Anansi stories, fairy tales like Cinderella, Snow White, etc, Curious George (read in story hour recently) and other picture books.

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The children at the Nsukka Center Library also had questions for the children in India and in other countries, and I'll post them later on, during the tour.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Next to acquiring good friends, the best acquisition is that of good books." Charles Caleb Colton.

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I hope you enjoyed our visit with the children of Nsukka, today. Tomorrow, we go to Literary Safari, and we'll also have our first series of quizzes. See you then...

DAY 2 OF AMADI'S SNOWMAN GLOBAL VIRTUAL TOUR

Hello everyone,

It's me, Amadi, and I'm in charge of announcing the program for today. 

Both Mama Katia and Mama Dimitrea stop at Bees Knees Reads for an interview with children's book illustrator and world traveler Kim Baise.  Also, don't miss her review of Amadi's Snowman in an earlier post.

SUNDAY TRIVIA

 

Each week, I will ask three trivia questions about one of the countries participating in our blog tour, and I'm happy and proud to begin with Nigeria. At the end of the month, we'll draw a winner among the participants who gave the right responses, each week, and they'll win a prize. 

1. Find the name of the Nigerian Author, born in an Igbo village, like me, who wrote the novel "Things Fall Apart" (most widely read book in modern African literature.)

2. A question about climate : what is the name of the wind that blows south from the Sahara during the dry season?

3. What are Nigeria's direct neighboring countries?

Send your responses at katianovet@gmail.com. We'll give you the answers next week.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Reading is a basic tool in the living of a good life." Mortimer Alder

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And now, guess where we're going tomorrow? Did you guess? Yes, Nigeria! We'll visit the library at the Nsukka Children's Center during story hour. We have great photos, and I just can't wait. See you all tomorrow...

DAY 1 OF AMADI'S SNOWMAN GLOBAL VIRTUAL TOUR

Kedu ! Hello everyone!

See the boy on the cover above? That's ME ! Amadi, from Igbo Land in Nigeria. I'm so happy to be here that my legs and my arms and even my heart want to bound and bounce all around. Problem is, it makes it hard to type on a computer keyboard at the same time. So I will sit still long enough to tell you that we are going to spend the whole month of November together. 

Yes! This is the global virtual book tour for "Amadi's Snowman" and Mama Katia - the author, Katia Novet Saint-Lot - says we will travel around the world to celebrate the release of my story as a picture book. We will visit schools in the US, and in Nigeria, in Haiti, and in India.

Oups, Mama Katia is dictating these words to me, now, and she's talking too fast. I think she's really excited, too. She says that we will participate in a global conversation about books, reading, and what they mean for everyone, children as well as grown-ups.

We will visit many, many blogs, we will learn about sustainable libraries in several countries around the world, and we'll spend some time with Mama Dimitrea Tokunbo, the illustrator.

There will be trivia questions, quizzes,  and prizes to win.

We'll also have a feature called "Where in the World is Amadi?" with pictures of children reading the book in different places, and some video clips, and a lot more.

We'll have a blast, and do you understand why my whole body wobbles from wanting to bound and bounce?

Do come back, and enjoy our journey. Send comments, and feel free to participate so we can all rejoice in the magic and power of books. (these are Mama Katia's words. Then again, she's right. Books ARE magic. I know that now.)

Kodi ! Bye !

Signed : your friend from Nigeria, AMADI

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Hello, I'm Katia Novet Saint-Lot, your host for this global virtual tour, and after Amadi's introduction, I only need to add a few words. I do hope that you will enjoy this journey as much as we enjoyed preparing it. 

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS AMADI?

With this feature, we intend to follow Amadi and the book, as they show up in different places around the world. So, wherever you are, do send me pictures of your child (or children) with the book at katianovet@gmail.com, and I'll publish them as I have done, here, and here.

Today, we have Peter and Patrick, in Enugu, still wearing their school uniform from The British School of Enugu. This is really special, as Peter is the same age as my daughter Kora, and they used to attend the same class. Patrick was still a toddler when we left Enugu, and look at him, now. Finally, their mother, Dr. Theresa Madubuko, was my invaluable contact in Enugu, and tirelessly conducted research for me, asking all sorts of questions to anyone and everyone on my behalf, including her patients at the hospital where she works.

Dalu, Peter and Patrick!

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates loot on Treasure Island ,and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life." Walt Disney

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Come back tomorrow. We will post our first trivia and visit the Bees Knees Reads blog.

El Biblioburro in Columbia

Check this article published in the New York Times about Luis Soriano, a teacher in Columbia, and his Biblioburro. I encourage you to click on the link "more photos" as they're quite stunning. This is so relevant with our current conversation about books and the need to share them - even if it means, as in this case, traveling miles on a donkey.

Food metaphors to describe skin color

After publishing my post, yesterday, I left a comment on Mitali's blog: 

"Hello Mitali, chiming in from India, where the Diwali celebrations are deafening. I greatly enjoyed this discussion, even though I did wonder about your point number 10, and the apparent ban on food metaphors to describe skin color (which I personally see as loving and positive). But then, I remembered that the whole discussion is meant in the context of the third person narrators's point of view in a novel. Thanks for sharing this with us."

Here is Mitali's response:

"Hi Katia, number 10 is mainly because food has been so overdone in ethnic description that it almost sounds cliche. The point being that we're writers, so it's time for some creative new linguistic play."

OK, so I had it right, regarding the need for writers to stretch their writing skills and imagination, but (and maybe this is me, being my usual non-compliant self) I still like the food metaphors, for the reasons mentioned before. Maybe I can keep some of them, and try and introduce them in more creative ways. 

Have I ever mentioned how I tend to resist and balk when told that I shouldn't do something? Tell me to do something while giving me a good reason why I should, and I'm right there with you most of the time. But tell me : you should not do this, either because it's not done, or because it no longer is, and this cocky contrary little Katia springs up with a hand on her hip and goes : "Oh yeah, says who, and why?" 

That alter ego is sometimes right (if only in the sense that it pushes me to think more, to question, to challenge), sometimes dreadfully wrong (as in simply being a manifestation of a rather stubborn streak.) And it usually takes me a while to figure that out. So, I will continue thinking about this... which is all good, anyway.

Further thoughts on the discussion about the ways authors should - and should not - describe their character's race.

I've been thinking a lot about the discussion started by Mitali, and her 10 points summary. I want to report some of the comments I found on Mitali’s blog. 

Cynthia Leitich Smith said : "Thank you, Mitali, for yet another thoughtful post. It reinforces your global point, I think, that I'd urge writers to use specific tribal affiliations rather than Native American or American Indian generally--so long as that information is available/applicable to the narrator POV. It also discourages defaulting to Hollywood stereotypes or "fungible" Indians, who make little to no sense to insider readers." 

And Mitali responded: “When it comes to describing cultures, specific is always better than general. And more interesting, too. A story set "somewhere in Africa" won't match the authenticity of a book set in a particular village in Mali, for example.”

Absolutely. Amadi's ethnicity, for instance, is a crucial element of the story in "Amadi's Snowman". He's an Igbo boy, and it is because of this particular heritage, with its traditional emphasis on trading, that he mistakenly assumes he's fine knowing his numbers and doesn't need to read letters. Which doesn't minimize the universal quality of the story: resistance to change, reluctance to learn something new and unfamiliar, in this case, reading. But the character and his particular story could only happen within the Igbo context.

I’ve also been thinking about the last point of the summary: “Unleash your creativity when it comes to descriptions of appearance. It's unanimous: stay away from food metaphors when it comes to describing skin color. Scrupulously avoid cliché when talking about a character's appearance. Let's invent fresh ways of describing the human diversity on our planet, and set our young readers free to enjoy fresh ways of seeing it.”

When I read this, my first reaction was: What's wrong with food metaphors, as long as they convey a positive message? Now, I totally understand and agree that writers need to stretch their imagination, and always try to come up with new ways of describing things. That's what writing is all about. Still...

One book that I read often to my biracial daughters is Karen Katz' "The Colors of Us." A 7-year-old discovers the many shades of browns that humans come in by taking a walk around her neighborhood. Cinnamon, French toast, creamy peanut butter, chocolate brown, peachy, honey, "reddish brown, like leaves in the fall" (that's one that departs from the comparison with food), cocoa brown, butterscotch, bronze and amber (another departure from food), ginger and chili powder, coconuts and coffee toffee. And when the child sets out to paint everyone, she says " their names aloud. Cinnamon, chocolate, and honey. Coffee, toffee, and butterscotch. They sound so delicious." And they do. 

And don't all parents tell their small children that they could eat them up. I certainly have, often, and still do from time to time. And ever since my daughters were born, I have told them that their skin was cinnamon for the first one, and more like toffee for the second one. 

The Danish mother of one of my youngest daughters' friends was telling me, one day, about their Indian nanny’s reaction, the first time she gave a bath to the 3-year-old girl: she kept laughing and saying that her bottom looked like "two little white buns." Obviously, the food metaphor works throughout the whole color spectrum. I personally see it as a natural and rather loving way of describing the color of someone’s skin. 

But then, I went back to the discussion, and was struck, the second time around, by a point I had kind of overlooked before. The whole conversation is about the description of characters from an omniscient 3d person narrator’s POV, in novels.

In other words, the omniscient narrator of a novel should not be caught describing one of the story’s characters as having a skin the color of cinnamon, or peach, or anything else. Now, that makes more sense to me. 

 

Discussion about writing race in novels

Mitali Perkins launched a thought-provoking discussion about writing race in a novel. Here are some of the responses she received to the question : Should an author describe the race of a character or leave it to the reader's imagination? I couldn't resist copying and pasting some of the responses she's gotten so far.

If a character is of a certain race in writer's mind, why not describe it? Otherwise the reader assumes it's dominant group, right? — Sarah Rettger

I'm not an author, but I'd think that if it's important, then it will come out in other ways, such as in the reaction of others to that character. — Kathy Christie Hernandez

How important is it that the reader understand the author's original intent, and how much can the text speak to his/her experience apart from it? I think details on race, especially in your genre, will help some readers identify with the characters, while other readers may gloss over those details to find something more universal to identify with. I would vote to describe race. — Rena Chinn

For me, I'm torn because my character's race has nothing to do with the current story. I know she's black, though, and in her background, I know how that plays into the choices she's made to get to where she is when this story happens. I see her clearly in my mind, I have to give her a bit of a physical description, as I would for any other character. Where I feel stupid is, natch, that I don't describe any one as Caucasian or mention that my hero is probably half-Jewish, so why would I describe this character as black? But I also feel, when I describe her, that if I don't make it clear what she looks like, I look like I'm avoiding this detail of who she is. It all comes back to the fact that, in my head, her being black is an important part of why she lives where she does. And the book will (hopefully) be part of a series and maybe in one of the later books, this bit of background that's tied to her being black, may come out into play. — Becky Levine

How does one "describe" race since race is a social construct? Color-related terms? (Then we end up with awful similes and metaphors - many to do with food!) — Pooja Makhijani

In my current WIP (middle grade) the protagonist is Indian (or South Asian-American, or Indo-American, or of Bengali heritage - what do we call it?), but the story really has NOTHING to do with BEING Indian. However, her background, and her family's background, add texture to the story. But if her heritage is not integral to advancing the story, then how much attention should I call to her "ethnicity"? I'm happy with the book the way it is, but readers and reviewers may think otherwise. — Anjali Banerjee

I think in some books it's important for the plot (Come a Stranger by Cynthia Voigt, or The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks, Jaqueline Woodson's Maizon trilogy are a few that come to mind right away), but it can also build plot -- you don't realize that the character is of xyz ethnicity until something happens in the plot. I like that picture book artists are being more inclusive, using many different types of children in their illustrations ... Overall, "show don't tell" comes to mind. — Suzi Wackerbath

When a "white" character comes on scene, I don't think I've ever read "a white girl with blonde hair." But if a person of any color is described for the first time, I see a lot of "African-American boy with light skin" or "Asian-American girl with long hair." It's a little off-putting as a reader, plus isn't it kind of klunky? — Justina Chen Headley

I think Sarah may have hit on one of the key things here--that idea of assumption that a character is from the dominant race. Yuck--not to Sarah at all, but to that feeling that we (I!) DO do this. So then, what are we doing when we identify a character by race/ethnicity--are we playing into some idea I wouldn't want to touch with a ten-foot pole? — Becky Levine

I also reacted to Sarah's comment -- because no, I don't assume the character is of the dominant race. I don't assume the character is of the dominant race. As a child, I was always looking for cues that a character was of MY race (Asian), and would take physical cues, such as black hair, as evidence to support my wish. I think if it fits in naturally, if it matters what their race is, why not? But I'm also all for being vague, and using a broad variety of physical traits for your characters. It makes a difference. — Alvina Ling

I, like Sarah, would tend to assume. — Jackie Parker

Alvina, I probably should have phrased that differently -- when I assume a character is white, it's just as likely that I'm assuming s/he looks like me. I went to college in an environment where identity politics were huge, so I'm very conscious of the fact that I continue to make these assumptions. With my latest WIP, I've run into this from the writer's side. I submitted the first few chapters to my critique group, and one critique partner said that based on my main character's voice, she knew just what the character looked like -- Drew Barrymore in Ever After. I didn't describe the MC physically in those chapters. In fact, she's a mixture of English, Spanish, and Afro-Caribbean, something that comes out in a later scene (which I've now moved up in the story) where she meets characters with skin darker than hers - and notices it. A cross between Drew Barrymore and Eva Mendes is a little closer to what I was aiming for, but without being explicit about the main character's background/appearance, that wasn't coming across. And to Pooja's point, I'm definitely not using food metaphors to do it! — Sarah Rettger

I remember reading The Princess Academy in early 2007 while preparing for a trip to China and Tibet. While reading the book, I imagined the characters to be from this part of the world. I don't recall physical descriptions of race or ethnicity, but reading about traders, the mountain pass, village elders and the harsh living conditions made me think this. The girls pictured on the cover were faceless and I didn't take any cues from them. I don't know if this is what Hale intended, but I enjoyed my reading of the book this way. I was terribly disappointed when the paperback copy of the book came out with the image of very white girl on the cover. This image made me rethink my reading of the book and wonder what I missed. When I read, I picture my characters based on the setting and cultural cues the author provides. And must say, I like it this way. — Tricia Stohr-Hunt

Just a week ago someone in our (writer's) group asked me what my character looked like -- she has leg braces and crutches and dark hair, but there was a complaint because no one exactly knew her race. I think it's an identity thing and important to certain human beings for some reason. Maybe adult human beings more than young adults? I'm with Pooja; I find it hard to describe sometimes, and God help me if I default to mocha or chocolate or caramel... (because the paler alternatives are almonds and bananas and peaches. Which is just as ridiculous.) — Tanita Davis

I think it's important not to use "race" and "ethnicity" interchangeably. (i.e. My ethnicity is South Asian [or whatever we're calling it these days]; I don't know what my race is.) As a reader, I'd like to see even more books with non-white characters. (We've come a long way, but there's more work to do!) And I think it's important for readers of color to recognize themselves in the books that they read. If we, as writers, have to be more explicit about it (sans food metaphors), why not? Alvina, as a child, I didn't see myself in any of the books I read. But, I imagined my favorite characters looked like me. In my head, even Anne of Green Gables was a dark-haired, olive-skinned gal! — Pooja Makhijani

I definitely struggle with this, because I have characters with various ethnicities in the YA novels I write -- many of whom are of mixed ethnicity and somewhat ambiguous in actual appearance (in my head, anyway!), not just in their descriptions on paper. In fact, that's an important theme in one of my novels, which sort of spoofs the whole food-metaphor idea. Sometimes I end up slipping in a person's last name somewhere and using that as a clue to ethnicity, but it can't be used as the sole cue for appearance, or the writing may fall into the trap of assuming that everyone of a particular ethnicity will look the same. I feel like it's a tough line to walk, because I really want to include a variety of characters in my novels but as part of a normal environment, NOT necessarily as a plot point. As someone of mixed ethnicity who grew up in a fairly diverse environment, a lot of my YA settings reflect my own experiences...but unless it's part of the plot, I try to rely as much as possible on implication through small telling details rather than directly stating somebody's ethnicity, if possible. So far, anyway... :) — A. Fortis

I second Pooja's comment about race versus ethnicity. We should not use the terms interchangeably. "Race" generally refers to biological (phenotypic) characteristics. "Race" is not particularly useful when we talk about humans, as all humans are about 99.9% identical in genetic terms. There's more genetic variation *within* groups than *between* groups. This kind of homogeneity is unusual in other species, apparently. "Ethnicity" is a social construct, a cultural classification. We have many ways of interpreting and defining ethnicity. We also have to consider the tension/relationship between our role as artists -- telling a story and being true to the story -- and the culture in which we move. In a way, we're asking, what is our responsibility, as writers, to the society at large? An interesting aside -- the Indian cover of my novel, MAYA RUNNING (Penguin-India) shows a black silhouette of a teenage girl on a pink and white background. The North American cover (Random House) shows a brown-skinned girl, clearly Indian, with a huge image of Ganesh above her head. Hmmm. — Anjali Banerjee

Find Mitali's summary of the discussion on her blog, Mitali's Fire Escape : Ten Tips On Writing Race in Novels

Karatu Library Project in Yola, Nigeria

I never knew when I decided to become serious with my writing that it could bring me so much joy, and in ways so totally unforeseen. The process itself is all-consuming and the more I write, the deeper I go, the richer I feel, the more I want to continue writing. And of course, there's been the joy of seeing a story turned into a book. And then, there was the exhilaration of the first readings in New York. Being able to see and hear the reactions of children and adults was an incredible experience. Recently, I discovered yet another aspect of the job, and that is the contact with my young readers in a school context. I mentioned on this blog how gratifying it was to be able to discuss the story and the book with grade-school children, here, in Hyderabad. 

For the past few weeks, I've been very involved in the preparation of a mammoth blog tour. I just had that tiny idea of using my blog to do a mini-tour of a few days, months back, and never imagined it would turn into this marathon. But it's been great fun, thanks to Sarah McGinnis, the publicist at Tilbury House, who is as helpful as she is creative. Well, another unexpected bonus has been all the contacts I've made for that blog tour. Contacts with people who are passionate about books and literacy and the need to bring them to children all over the world. As all global nomads know, one connexion often leads to another which leads to yet another, and all of a sudden, the world seems so small and manageable and such a friendly place, too. 

Martha Speirs is the Library Director of the American University Library in Yola, Nigeria, and she's very involved in The Karatu Library Project. When I sent her an email asking if she would like to participate in the tour, she responded enthusiastically. Karatu will be featured in the blog tour, in November, along with other sustainable libraries project, but in the meantime, I wanted to show a video shot by film students in Yola, during a fundraising event for the Karatu Library, so we could all have a little "taste" of Nigeria beforehand.

A Book Party in Luang Prabang

I had no idea, when I posted the meme about reading, that it would open up new avenues, and introduce me to other wonderful projects in other parts of the world. One of the fun aspects of the meme is that it spreads out indefinitely. I tagged Janet, who tagged Jessi, and who knows how far this could go... 

If you have 8 minutes to spare, watch the movie below.  Jessi Cotterill and her husband donate books to children in Laos through their project Books for Laos.

A Meme about reading

In the spirit of AMADI'S SNOWMAN and the upcoming blog tour, and inspired by my recent school visits, I thought it would be fun to come up with a meme about reading.

So, here are the five questions to be copied and pasted on your blogs, so we can keep the fun going around.

1. Do you remember the first book you ever read on your own?

2. Do you remember how you felt? If not, maybe you remember how you felt seeing a child read for the first time?

3. Do you remember a book that you read again and again as a child?

4. Why that book? Have you read it again as an adult? If so, was it like you remembered?

5. Why do you read?

And here are my answers :

1. Do you remember the first book you ever read on your own?

It was "Les Petites Filles Modèles" in French, by the Comtesse de Segur, and I just found out that they've never been translated into English. It was a present from a lady, but I don't remember who she was. That very evening, my parents allowed me to keep my light on to read, in my bed, and I can still see them looking at me from the door, probably quite moved. 

2. Do you remember how you felt? If not, maybe you remember how you felt seeing a child read for the first time?

I remember that I felt very proud, and all grown up.

3. Do you remember a book that you read again and again as a child?

The Three Musketeers, by Alexandre Dumas, and the sequel, Twenty Years After. It was a beautiful book with leather binding and very fine pages and a Christmas present. I think I was 9 years old. I read the two novels hundreds of times, and I actually can't wait for my daughter to be slightly older (another year) so we can read it together.

4. Why that book? Have you read it again as an adult? If so, was it like you remembered?

It has everything : adventure, strong and sensitive heroes, fantastically hateful villains (Oh, that horrid Cardinal de Richelieu !), romance, passion, History, costumes, horses galloping throughout the French countryside, some really funny dialogues and situations, some terribly tragic ones, too, etc, etc. I have not read the two books in a while, but I get awfully upset if I see a movie adaptation that totally distorts the story that I remember very well. I mean, how dare they ??? :) 

5. Why do you read?

Why do I breathe, or eat? Reading is good for everything : to escape, to take me other places, to pass the time while waiting somewhere or riding public transportations (better than staring at walls), to help me understand myself better, to live vicariously, to learn, to discover, to laugh, to travel, to dream, to cry, to feel...

Annette Gulatti, Janet Brown, Lisa Schroeder, Rilla Jaggia, Suzanne Kamata, Kristin Blair O'Keefe,  and, well, anyone who reads this and wants to pass it on, consider yourselves tagged.

After Booklist and Kirkus, the School Library Journal !

Excerpt from the review written by Susannah Richards, Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic.

"Amadi's experiences are genuine and come across naturally in the narrative. The vibrant illustrations depict the setting and bring richness and depth to the story. An important addition to any library, this offering fills a necessary niche for current-day stories from other cultures and focuses attention on reading as an important and satisfying accomplishment."

I received my first email from a reader, today

I'm the kind of person who always worries about annoying people. Definitely not the type to stare at an actor in a restaurant or in the street, and I would rather die than walk up to a famous person to ask for their autograph. Not that I'm anything famous (Ha!), but it felt so funny to write autographs for the children at Vidyaranya, recently. They were so serious and eager about it. I loved it, frankly.

Well, today, I got an email from one of them, with the title " Reading is Power." Seems the message stuck. Yeah !!!

It was very short, and so sweet, and I was so happy to answer.  Thank you, Uddhav.

Another wonderful review on Saffron Tree

Saffron Tree aims to "bring to you an eclectic mix - children's books from India and the US, and pretty much all over the world that will help children connect to their cultural roots and appreciate other cultures..." 

Follow the link below to read their review of Amadi's Snowman. As I said in the comment section, I had shivers running up and down my back as I read it.

http://www.saffrontree.org/2008/10/amadis-snowman.html

Children's Illustrators for Obama

Poster designed by Susan Guevara with contributions from a number of illustrators. Isn't it beautiful?