Story Connections

Lucky me got to sign books with former Emu Debut author Michelle Ray!

Last weekend I had the privilege of being one of the featured authors who spoke at the Gaithersburg Book Festival in Maryland. I talked about how stories—all of our stories—connect us to one another and to the characters in our books.

When I was young, my dad was in the Air Force, and we moved six times between Kindergarten and my senior year of high school. I know what it’s like to be the new kid in class—it’s scary and foreign and mortifying until that very first friend reaches out and invites you into your new world. Day by day, you learn to feel your way through the new slang and customs and social landscape until one day you find that you’re no longer muddling through; you’re striding.

While I was writing FLYING THE DRAGON, I took this kernel of emotion that I’d carefully wrapped and tucked away and I opened it up. I turned it over in my hands, held it up to the light, remembered its texture. I then carefully wrapped it back up and gave it to Hiroshi, one of my main characters who moves from Japan to the U.S., knows no English, and has no friends on his first day of school. I am not Japanese, like Hiroshi, nor have I ever had to go to a school where I didn’t speak the language. To look at the two of us, side by side, you might think that we have nothing in common. But, of course, we do.  We know what it’s like to be the new kid, to feel different, to miss the friends we left behind and wonder if we’ll find a true friend in our new town.  He and I are connected by a common truth.

We humans are story-tellers by nature. We hear stories about infamous great uncles and dream vacations and the neighbor’s new puppies. We hear stories that make us laugh, cry and that renew our faith in people. We share stories around the dinner table, in the car, and in line at the grocery store. We are story-tellers by nature because stories are what connect us to one another.

Whenever my dad starts telling a familiar family story, my mother will often remind him that we’ve heard that tale a hundred times before. But I always tell him to finish those stories. Because it’s not the details that he’s sharing, it’s the emotion wrapped inside the details—humor or sadness, wistfulness or joy. And it’s in the telling that we feel what he feels; it’s the telling that connects us.

The next time you tell a story to someone, watch and see what happens next. As it usually goes, that person will go on to share a story that has a connection to yours, the same kernel of truth.

On this Memorial Day holiday, I hope you take time to remember a story and share it with someone you love. It might be a story you heard on the radio that touched you, or a story that’s been passed down in your family for years. Or maybe it’s a story about your childhood that your own kids haven’t heard yet.

Take time to revel in the connections created by your stories, whether it’s their first telling or one-hundred-and-first.

Taking a Break (But Not Really)

Somedays it’s hard for me to believe that I’m going to be a published author and I’m a part of this talented, fun group of EMU’s. I mean, who am I? A real housewife from New Jersey! (Yes, the real kind who does laundry and cooks dinner and wears pajamas all day.)

So I look around at all my debut friends and realize they’re vlogging. So I’d better pick up the pace and join them. I recorded my first-ever vlog, which may prove to be the most boring video on earth…but nonetheless, it’s here for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure, as the case may be).

In it, I reveal how I scored my second book contract. By taking a break. Sort of.

The Waiting. It Burns.

Whew, that was some fun launch party! Lots of streamer scraps and deflated balloons around this blog today. And the celebration continues for the winner of our giveaway. The lucky teacher who has won lots of cool swag as well as a free 30-45-minute SKYPE Q&A with Lynda Mullaly Hunt is….. Bobi Martin! Congratulations!! Woo Hoo! More confetti!!

It’s a good thing this blog is self-cleaning.

I can hardly wait for the next Emu to debut! Fortunately I’ve gotten really good at waiting. As anyone out on submission knows, this publishing journey is filled with long stretches of waiting. Waiting to hear back on queries. Then waiting to hear back on fulls. Then waiting to hear back on revisions. And then hopefully if things go well… waiting on an acquisitions meeting that you maybe have a ‘really good feeling about’ but that can take weeks to hear back on. Here I vlog about the agony of waiting (with actual unretouched footage of myself waiting to hear the outcome of a certain exciting acquisitions meeting).

I’m thrilled that the waiting in this case has resulted in the sale of my newest novel, ADRENALINE, to FSG/Macmillian for publication in early 2014. Squeeee! I couldn’t be happier. Waiting for new release celebrations are the best sort of waiting.

An A+ for One for the Murphys (and a Skype author visit give-away)!

When I read Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s debut middle grade novel One for the Murphy’s, I immediately wanted to share it. I wanted to hand it to kids as they came into the library where I teach. I wanted to introduce them to Carley, a foster child who, after a terrible incident with her mom,  is placed with the Murphy family. At first, Carley can’t believe that families like the Murphys even exist–families who are loving and flawed and who stick together, because that’s what families do. Just as Carley begins to open herself up to the love that the Murphys have to offer, she learns that her mom wants her back. Will Carley go back to her mom or stay with the Murphys? You’ll have to wait and read the book to find out!

But you don’t have to wait to enter the contest we’re holding to round out our celebration of One for the Murphys…

Calling all teachers, librarians, and school guidance counselors (and anyone who knows a teacher, librarian or school guidance counselor)! We have a special give-away for educators and their students–a signed copy of ONE FOR THE MURPHYS, a class set of MURPHY bookmarks, a class set of rubber “Be Someon’e hero” bracelets, a free 30-45-minute SKYPE Q&A with Lynda Mullaly Hunt, and a “Hero” T-shirt for the teacher. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post anytime from now until midnight (PST) on Sunday, May 20. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 21. Even if you aren’t an educator, you can still enter for your child’s class or your neighborhood school!

If you’re wondering how One for the Murphys might fit into your curriculum, wonder no more! Here’s our interview with Lynda on how her debut novel connects with kids.

Emu’s Debuts: A student walks into my library and I think, “That kid needs a copy of ONE FOR THE MURPHYS.” Who is this kid?

Lynda: This is a kid who is concerned about fitting in or standing out.

This kid has been worried about who he is or, possibly, worried about who he’ll become.

This kid may be in foster care—or not—but needs to know that whatever life has dealt him as a child, he still has the power to create any life he wishes when he grows up. Any life at all.

Or this child has been dealt a lucky hand. He has a loving family and is not familiar with other kinds of experiences. Reading about others’ varied experiences helps to build empathy, I think.

Or this child may want to read about friendships. Likes sarcastic humor or stories about underdogs. Because  this book has many moments of levity and includes deep topics such as wearing towels as capes, chicken casseroles and apples pies, basketball, baseball, Broadway shows, playing pranks, putting up with (and appreciating) siblings, and cowardly pigeon eggs.

The circumstances that put Carley in foster care are quite sad (shown in flashbacks) but, as a whole, the book isn’t too heavy. It’s a story of a bustling, happy family and how they change Carley. It’s a story of friendship, of incorrect assumptions that we all make sometimes, of learning that happy families aren’t perfect and that “family” is more about love and camaraderie and having each other’s backs than sharing blood. It’s about heroes–no capes required. Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Emu’s Debuts: Lynda, that answer makes me want to read your book all over again! And I’ve just thought of a dozen more kids to hand this book to…

If we were to peek into a classroom where a teacher is using your book with the whole class or a small group, what might we see?

Lynda: Actually, I have been fortunate to see some of this already. And it absolutely floored me.

I have visited a few classrooms—one of which has heard the ARC (advanced reader copy) version of MURPHYS. The other was a class I was asked to visit because it has a lot of kids in the class who struggle with various things—some very similar to Carley’s circumstances.

Upon visiting one Massachusetts class in particular, I opened up a bit to the kids about the MURPHY seeds that were planted when I was even younger than them—that I had spent about three months with another family when I was about seven that gave me a view of a world that I had not known—but, upon leaving, a world I decided I would have for myself one day.

Teachers have told me that after I leave, children often make signs that say “Be someone’s hero” and hang them up in the room. I am so moved by this thought. This image. I have also been told that in discussing MURPHYS (prior to my arrival), that kids have opened up to their teacher and to each other about some of their own struggles. That Carley’s struggles have helped these kids forge bonds with each other and to understand themselves a bit better. To feel less alone.

To say this makes me happy is a thin way to describe it. I pursued publication hoping for this very thing. To think that it has already begun? Now, that’s a dream come true.

Emu’s Debuts: Carley and the Murphys have already connected with kids–and adults–and I’m looking forward to recommending One for the Murphys to all kinds of kids for years to come, Lynda.

Where can teachers and students learn more about you and your book?

Lynda:

• LINK TO BOOK TRAILER:

http://lyndamullalyhunt.wordpress.com/2012/04/04/one-for-the-murphys-book-trailer-middle-grade-novel/

• YouTube  code  for BOOK TRAILER:

http://youtu.be/pBFUPBw7KLI

• Find me online:

Website:   http://lyndamullalyhunt.com/

Blog:  http://lyndamullalyhunt.wordpress.com/

Facebook:  Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Twitter:  @Lynmullalyhunt

A One for the Murphy’s Teacher’s Guide will be up on my website soon. I will offer it for free to any teacher who’d like one. Why? Because I love teachers–most unsung heroes on the planet. (I taught for almost ten years—I know it isn’t nearly an 8:00-3:00 job!)

I am very much looking forward to getting back into classrooms as a visiting author to talk about Murphys, and heroes. About creating fiction from real life and three dimensional characters that step off of the page and into the reader. I look forward to helping students raise their own writing to the next level!

Emu’s Debuts: Thanks so much for joining us, Lynda! And a heartfelt welcome to Carley and the Murphys, who will continue to make a difference in the lives of readers for many years to come.

Finding the Hero in You

“Heroes” is a major theme that runs through ONE FOR THE MURPHY’S. Whether it’s saving someone from a burning building or diverting yourself from the wrong path in life, having courage is what it takes to become a hero. Step up to the challenges that make a difference in your life and the lives of others! To inspire you, here are some children who have risen to a specific “call to action.”

Angela Zhang: On her own, this teenager devised an experiment that could end up curing many types of cancers. Angela mixed medicine in a polymer that attached to nanoparticles, which then attached to cancer cells. Next, she aimed an infrared light at the polymer, melting and releasing the medicine that killed cancer cells and ignored the healthy cells in mice. It will take a few years of research to see how it works with humans, but thanks to Angela’s proactive experiment, the results looks extremely promising.

Eleven-year-old Katie Stagliano donated a 40-pound cabbage to a local soup kitchen that her family had grown in their backyard garden. When she discovered how many people were homeless and hungry, she began two major gardens, including one the size of a football field that she convinced a school district to give to her. She now supplies multiple soup kitchens with fresh produce year round.

Twelve-year-old Matt Norton of Florida jumped into a frigid, muddy pond when he witnessed a truck drive into it. As the vehicle began to sink, Matt swam to the passenger door, which was locked. He then swam around to the other side as the truck continued its descent. He managed to open the driver’s side door, reach in and grab a visible hand, and pull the teenaged driver to safety.

Through relentless fundraising efforts, 12-year-old Rachel Wheeler of Florida raised $250,000 to build homes in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. After using some of the money to build 12 homes, she bought an earthquake-proof cement structure to shelter 27 families near Port-au-Prince. The families that live there deem the housing tract, “Rachel’s Village.” She is now working on rebuilding a local school and has already raised half the funds she needs to complete this project.

Nineteen-year old, Andie Proskus, suffers from a muscle disease that has left her in a wheelchair. She doesn’t let that stop her from a mission to put smiles on the faces of children in her local hospital. Andie turns into a personal shopper for one lucky child at a time, filling “Andie’s Smile Boxes” with toys and other fun items, using gift cards that she receives for herself. Check out the special smile she receives in this heartwarming video!

I bet many of you out there know a few young heroes yourself, so today’s PARTY FAVOR is an easy pattern for making your very own HERO CAPE for that special hero in your life (which might even be you!)

And Now, Here’s a Completely Unrelated Vlog Clip About Famous People Named “Murphy,” Starring Santa Duck and Zombie Buddy

Just so you know, Erin Murphy’s dog is named Lulu. YES, YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS IN ORDER TO WATCH THIS VLOG CLIP…

SHE DOESN’T NEED IT. BUT THERE’S HELP FOR KIDS LIKE CARLEY.

One of the many—and most important—reasons that ONE FOR THE MURPHYS, whose launch EMUs Debuts is celebrating this week, is a truly special book is that the main character, Carley Connors, isn’t a character at all. She’s a real person.

Well, as a nonfiction writer, I confess that Carley’s not reeeeaallly real. But, she sure seems to be. She’s tough, vulnerable, funny, serious, gutsy, unsure—just like real, contradictory, lovable, vexing people. I predict that readers will be having long and deep conversations with her.

I’m not the only one who thinks so. Carley is so real that, if she needed one, she could have her own therapist. In fact, she already does.

Author-extraordinaire Lynda Mullaly Hunt put me in touch with a school-based social worker, Paula Netto, who answered my questions about Carley as if Carley were a student at her school. (I hasten to add that Paula was very discreet and did not disclose any private information about Carley that’s not already available in her biography—I mean in Lynda’s novel.)

Since May is Foster Care Month (wasn’t it clever of Lynda and her publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, to time the release this way?), many of my questions relate to Carley as a child in foster care. Here’s my interview. (Spoiler alert! If you don’t want to find out what Carley decides to do, stop here. I couldn’t interview Paula without our knowing and sharing Carley’s decision.)

Cynthia: What do you see in Carley’s actions that make her similar to students you’ve counseled or know of who live in troubled, abusive, or inattentive homes?

Paula: Carley is similar to students I’ve counseled or worked with in that there is meaning behind her behaviors that lies beneath the surface.  Children who live in troubled, abusive or inattentive homes develop coping strategies that may or may not be positive.  Carley definitely has adopted many different coping strategies; some of them result in negative consequences for her, and some don’t. Sometimes the acting out behaviors that do result in negative consequences may be healthier for the children than those that are “socially acceptable” that result in kids being silent and suppressing feelings. Carley has learned over her lifetime to suppress feelings and words to protect her mother and protect her ability to be with her mother. As adults, if we look for the meaning behind acting-out behavior, we can often find that child’s reality and help the child either develop positive coping strategies or help the child change that reality.

Cynthia: What guidance would you give Carley—or, what questions would you ask her—as she makes the decision whether to stay with the Murphys or return to her mother?

Paula: Children usually do not have much of a say in making a decision about what would be the best place for them.  The system is usually designed to return children to their biological families.   If I were to counsel Carley as she returns to live with her mother, I would encourage her to find adults in her world that she can trust and turn to if she needs help or needs someone to talk with.   The mostly likely and easily accessible candidates are teachers and counselors at her new school.

Cynthia: Readers, I think, will be worried for Carley when she goes back to her mother but, at the same time, optimistic about her long-term chances for success. What factors do you think help make young people resilient, like Carley?

Paula: As readers are optimistic for Carley when she returns to Las Vegas to live with her mother, there is good reason to be worried for her as well.  There is a high probability that in time, in her old environment, her mother will fall into familiar patterns that were not healthy for her or Carley. I believe that Carley’s best chance for success will be to engage with adults at school and in her community that can serve as mentors for her as she grows up, similar to what Mrs. Murphy did for her. Those connections to other adults can build resilience and hope in young people.  All adults can be a mentor to a child as they grow up – you can never really have enough people helping you and rooting for your success.   We tend to be isolated in our individual families but, truly, we need more of the “It takes a village to raise a child” philosophy in our world to raise healthy young adults.

Cynthia: The idea of heroism plays a large role in the book. What are the ways that young people and adults can be a hero for a youngster in trouble? How does someone know when to stop trying to be a hero and call in professional help?

Paula: One of the ways that young people and adults can be a hero for younger children is to pay attention to what you see around you. Be active bystanders—help another student who is being teased or picked on. Be empathetic—engage with that child. Mentor a child or young teen. Carley was a hero to two of the Murphy boys in very different ways. For one of the boys, she was a coach who helped him conquer fear and be successful at a sport even as he initially rejected her help. For the other child, who was being bullied, she stood up to the bully. She showed it is possible to take away the “power” bullies try to use to intimidate their targets.  Carley used a little old-fashioned strategy and actually gave the bully a taste of his own medicine—not recommended in my world but sometimes the most effective way to get your point across.

Cynthia: What advice do you have for the Murphys? How can Mrs. Murphy help her sons get past their sadness at Carley’s leaving? Should they stay in touch with Carley or not?

Paula: The Murphys will undoubtedly go through a period of sadness as Carley leaves their family. One of the best ways they can help their sons is to teach them that sometimes people are with us for a long time and sometimes a short time, but they can always remain in our hearts. I believe for Carley to make a successful transition to living back with her mother, Mrs. Murphy will need to pull back and not be in touch with Carley for a period of time. But I do believe it would be healthy and important for her to reach out to Carley and her mother at a later time to offer friendship and support to both of them and keep her connection to Carley alive.

See what I mean? It’s not just Carley who’s so real she could practically be psychoanalyzed. Her mother and the Murphys, themselves, are, too.

Not surprisingly, Lynda received a lovely endorsement for ONE FOR THE MURPHYS from a psychologist, Nicolette M. Banbury, who specializes in children, like Carley, who have experienced trauma.

“ONE FOR THE MURPHYS by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a beautiful poignant story of eighty days in the life of a child placed in foster care with a loving family. It accomplishes the amazing feat of being both realistic and optimistic. The story encourages an empathetic appreciation for each character’s struggles, and transformation, as they strengthen in love, understanding, and honesty. With humor and wit, the story is a “must” for foster children and the families that love them.

Nicolette then went on to point out that wonderful books like this one can provide “bibliotherapy.” That is, teachers or school psychologists could assign and discuss ONE FOR THE MURPHYS with troubled children to help them realize they are not alone.

ONE FOR THE MURPHYS skillfully balances the genuine struggles, hopes, joys, and disappointments of a foster child, the foster family that brings her into their fold, and the birth mothers painful choices. The story reveals many of the emotional nuances and coping strategies often found in these circumstances that are, for most, very hard to conceptualize and understand. The humaneness of the story is validating, educating, and compassionate. I would highly recommend it for therapeutic use in psychoeducational formats, with bibliotherapy, and in situations where attachment to parents has been seriously compromised and traumatic.
We all benefit when a book like this one is published. Nicolette M. Banbury, Nationally Certified Psychologist and Licensed Professional Counselor/Specializing in Play Therapy and Trauma

After making us weep, ONE FOR THE MURPHYS will be therapeutic for lots of readers, kid or adult, troubled or settled.

Wicked Wonderful and Flying High!

Those who are lucky enough to have already read Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s ONE FOR THE MURPHYS know that recurring references are made to the musical WICKED.  Toni, a minor character with a major role, is crazy about the show’s theme song, Defying Gravity. Really, it could be the defining song for getting published—getting beyond the myriad of obstacles each potential author faces is seriously a gravity defying act in its own right.

Which is why we here at Emu Debuts are celebrating!

Not only has this amazing book made the journey from imagination to store shelves, garnering rave reviews and a Kirkus star along the way, but it’s touched our hearts. To that end, we want to show how much we love this story with some wicked partying of our own! Cue the curtain!

Laurie Boyle Crompton rocks the Wicked-wear in a shirt that Toni would kill for.

Jeanne Ryan says that one of the secrets to creating a book is learning to juggle.

Any Murphy will tell you that baseball offers a magic all its own. Natalie Dias Lorenzi enjoys the powers bestowed by a Boston Red Sox hat.

Cynthia Levinson has friends in high places, who also have excellent taste in books. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Hentoff, Circus Harmony).

This image was not digitally altered. Um, not that any of the other pictures were. (Photo courtesy of Jessica Hentoff, Circus Harmony)

Mike Jung, who knows something about super powers, demonstrates Levitation 101.

J. Anderson Coats puts her research of medieval fortress-building to good use.

Jeannie Mobley not only defies gravity, but does so in Wicked style.

L.B. Schulman Hangs onto Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s Every Word! (Picture courtesy of Annalise Schulman.)

From all of the Emudebuts, brava, Lynda! Take a bow!

And one more thing: we’ve got a PARTY FAVOR for all our guests today! Downloadable Wicked Paper Dolls of your very own, with three pages of clothes!