Check out inkpop today
HarperCollins (publisher of The princess diaries series, The vampire diaries series, and Emily the Strange) has launched a site called inkpop–an “online community that connects up-and-coming authors with talent spotters and publishing professionals in the teen market.” According to the site, “HarperCollins editors read inkpop’s most popular submissions in hopes of discovering the next big thing in teen lit.” To get a better grasp of the basics, check out inkpop’s About Us.
Authors can create a personal inkpop page and upload their work. Anyone 13 or older can become a part of the inkpop writing community.
Readers are welcome too! If you like something you read on inkpop, you can recommend that work to others. The more something is recommended, the better the chances of it being read by one of the bigwigs at HarperCollins!
For a better breakdown of how inkpop works, I highly recommend reading the FAQ. It’s very detailed and should answer a lot of your questions.
Have you created an inkpop profile? Leave us a comment and let us know!
The roar by Emma Clayton
Since his twin’s disappearance a year ago, Mika hasn’t felt complete. Everyone, his parents included, thinks that Elli is dead. Mika however, is convinced that Elli lives. Convinced that it somehow has a connection to Elli, he begins playing a video game called Podfighter.
It’s hard to talk about Emma Clayton’s The roar without giving anything away! There is definitely a lot going on in the book so far. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I think it’s because I’m thinking too much about how the stories fit together.
As it turns out, Elli IS alive and being held captive by a man named Mal Gorman. She appears to be an important part of Gorman’s plans but so far, these plans remain a mystery to me. It probably has something to do with special powers both she and Mika have, but I can’t say for sure. I feel like I’m on the verge of something big happening so I’m definitely going to have to keep listening.
BTW, if you want to give this title a try, I highly recommend checking out the book on CD. The narrator does a great job with all the voices!
Image courtesy of Manny the Movie Guy
It’s a mad, mad movie! Alice In Wonderland falls into theaters 3/5/10 starring Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Anne Hathaway as The White Queen and Alan Rickman (Snape!) as The Caterpillar. All the madness is directed by Tim Burton, who previously worked his wacky magic on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
While you wait for the movie, check out some Alice stories like Wonderland and The Looking Glass Wars at the Carrollton libraries.
Photo of J.D. Salinger courtesy of Gale's Literature Resource Center
I need a book nerd moment.
Today I found out that J.D. Salinger passed away on Wednesday. He was 91 years old. If the same sounds familiar, it’s because Salinger wrote The catcher in the rye.
When I was your age (wow, that makes me feel really old), I read The catcher in the rye because it was one of those books that I knew I, as a teenager who loved to read, had to read. And I’ve never regretted it. I can’t tell you exactly why reading the book made such an impact on me, but it did. And I’m not the only one who feels that way. Some people still believe that reading The catcher in the rye is a kind of literary rite of passage. There’s just something about Holden Caulfield that really just gets you.
For as widely read as The catcher in the rye is, J.D. Salinger did not publish any other novels. As a matter of fact, he kept to himself. He retreated to his New Hampshire home in the 1960’s and very rarely made public appearances after that.
So, if you’ve never read The catcher in the rye, give it a shot. Or, if you prefer to learn more about J.D., try this “Appreciation” from Time Magazine. You can also pull up articles using one of our many fabulous Literature & Criticism databases.
Have something to say about J.D. Salinger or The catcher in the rye? Leave us a comment and tell us how you feel!
