Kimberly Hirsh

I want to go to the library ASAP to return Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies) and pick up Lisa Yee’s Millicent Min, Girl Genius. Sadly, the branch library by my house isn’t open on Sundays and the library downtown is open only exactly during the hours I’m at rehearsal tomorrow. What does this mean?

A trip to the bookstore, naturally.

My bookshelf is overflowing. I’ll take a picture sometime and show you. It’s a bit scary, actually. The shelves bow under the weight of all the books on them.

But as much good as I’ve heard about Lisa Yee, I am wary of buying an author’s books all untried. I only put $30/month in my budget for books, you see. Of late its been spent on “market research” - vampire romance, most recently. (There’s another genre I’m writing in but I already own so many examples of that I don’t need to buy any.)

So my book shopping list for tomorrow: Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston (I’ll admit this purchase is entirely inspired by Nothing But the Truth. I originally intended to pick this one up at the library, but the more I think about it, the more it seems like a reasonable book to own.) Shrimp by Rachel Cohn (but not Cupcake because it’s not out in paperback)

I decided that since I have Gingerbread and won’t be parting with it in my book purge, Shrimp is a safe purchase.

The question is: Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan - library or bookstore? slayground? Anyone? Advice?

A quick rundown of my life at the moment: I teach full-time and I’m in a play. I’m only in my second year of full-time teaching. My house is a mess! I have so many papers to grade, and I’ve been sick on and off a lot recently.

So today was going to be catch-up day: I was going to clean the house, grade papers, and of course schedule in a little relaxation.

I didn’t wake up until 10:30 am, and all I’ve done so far is lounge in my pajamas, play on the internet, eat cookies, and read Justina Chen Headley’s Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies).

I fear I’m not a very good book reviewer, because I can’t find words besides “This book is good! Read it!” I think what happens in this book, and indeed in most good books about young girls, is a transformation and a self-acceptance. In Nothing But the Truth it happens over a summer; for some people it takes longer. I’m trying now to figure out when it happened for me. At this point in time, I like myself a lot. Not in the sense that I think I’m vastly superior to others, but in the sense that I’m never worried about trying to fit in. So books like this one make me think “How does that process happen?” Of course it’s different for every girl. (I’m sure it happens to boys, too, but I never was a boy.)

As a high school teacher, I see a lot of girls who aren’t satisfied with themselves. I see others who are. I wish sometimes I could follow some of them, and see how they change when they are adults. I think that has to be one of the most wonderful things you can do - watch a person grow up. I liked watching Patty grow up. I liked watching her grow from awkward to self-possessed. I liked watching her ideas about others change as her ideas about herself did.

A great strength of Nothing But the Truth is the interaction of its female characters. Patty, our protagonist, is at the heart of the story, but we see how the other girls and women in her life help her grow and change. When we discover why Patty’s mother is the way she is, for us as much as for Patty, life takes on new levels. When Jasmine pushes Patty outside her comfort zone, we wonder what exciting opportunities may lie outside our own. And what is most reassuring is that after this transformative summer, Patty hasn’t had to give up any of her former self; she’s only added new dimensions.

In Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies), we see how a girl can grow and change and find out who she is, without losing a sense of who she was. We can be in the present, look to the future, and remember the past. And I think Patty’s most important discovery, and mine too in reading this book, is that the events that shape us do just that - they shape who we are and what we become. But they don’t determine it. That’s up to us.

Book: Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies) (Affiliate Link) Author: Justina Chen Headley Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers Original Publication Date: April 5, 2006 Pages: 256 Age Range: Young Adult Source of Book: Public Library Other Blog Reviews: Jen Robinson’s Book Page, Bildungsroman

I am going to keep a list of books to read. This way I won’t forget the title/author of a book I want to read, and have to look it up based on keywords and just hope I happen to bump into it.

To start: Rules by Cynthia Lord. Why: It’s about a girl whose brother has autism. The Same Difference by Deborah Lynn Jacobs Why: It’s about a girl whose twin has autism. Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith Why: It’s a gothic YA fantasy that appeals to the Buffy audience. The Phoenix Dance by Dia Calhoun Why: It’s a fantasy novel with a protagonist who has bipolar illness. The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series - ancient mythology!

From the Cybils: The Bartimaeus Series by Jonathan Stroud Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Today I dropped by the library and picked up the readergirlz pick for this month, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies).  I’m only a few pages in but I like it so far.  I’ve gotten away from YA lit and that’s a shame as it brings me fond memories and a lot of times it’s better than the other stuff.  In the past couple of years I’ve really enjoyed Rachel Cohn’s Gingerbread and Dyan Sheldon’s Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen.  Lola Cepp is my alter ego, you see.  (Even though her parents gave her my sister’s name, if a bit misspelled.)

I’ll be writing more about the book as I read and finish it.  My reading goals for 2006 were to read 26 books, which I surpassed, and to keep a list of them, which I did.  To keep up with that rate, I’m a bit behind.  I need to read 5 books in the next week to catch up.  That’s not going to happen.  Two might be achievable, though.

When I was at the library looking for Justina Chen Headley, I looked at the YA paperbacks.  G is right next to H, and so I stumbled on many, many books by Chris Golden, who is both an excellent author and a nice guy (and, for the record, should really not make phone calls while he’s driving - nor should anyone else).  I was tempted to snatch up as many of Chris’s books as I could carry but then I realized the library loan period is 3 weeks, and I’m just not going to finish all the books of his they had in that time.

So I said, “Self, it’s the library.  They’ll still be here.  You can read his books later.”  And believe me, I will.

And now it’s time for me to go to bed.  More soon!

Inspired by readergirlz, I’ve started this reading journal.

…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INSPIRING TODAY'S GIRLS TO BE TOMORROW'S HISTORY
YOUNG ADULT AUTHORS CREATE AN ONLINE BOOK SALON FOR GUTSY GIRLS

SEATTLE, March 1 – In honor of Women's History Month, four young adultauthors are launching readergirlz, a new online book salon celebrating gutsy girls in life and literature.

Starting on March 1, readergirlz founders Dia Calhoun, Janet Lee Carey, Lorie Ann Grover, and Justina Chen Headley will unveil a monthly book selection, featuring young adult novels with gutsy female characters.

More than just a book club, readergirlz aims to encourage teen girls to read and reach out with community service projects related to each featured novel. As well, readergirlz will host MySpace discussions with each book's author, include author interviews, and provide book party ideas, including playlists, menus, and decorations. All content will be available through the readergirlz website (www.readergirlz.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com/readergirlz and groups.myspace.com/readergirlz), and LiveJournal (readergirlz.livejournal.com).

"We want girls to be the best women they can be,' explains Headley. The inspiration for readergirlz came from Headley's book tour last spring where she made a special effort to visit urban communities that couldn't otherwise bring in authors. She recruited three critically-acclaimed novelists—Calhoun, Carey, and Grover—to start readergirlz as a way to talk to teens about reading and writing.

"Readergirlz is a way I can connect wonderful books to girls I'd never be able to meet otherwise,' agrees Calhoun.

The founders hope readergirlz will change the way girls experience literature and see themselves. "I want to challenge girls to go for their dreams,' says Carey. "I learned how brave girls can be through books, and I want to share the power of literature with girls, wherever they are.'

Using MySpace and a website, the readergirlz founders, dubbed the divas, plan to provide a rich literary experience for teen girls online. "We already have over 750 friends on MySpace. From surveys to playlists to author interviews, we'll provide young adult readers with fun, meaningful content," explains Grover. "Why not harness the powerof MySpace to get girls to think critically about what they want to bein the future?'

Each book selection will dovetail to a topic, identified by the readergirlz divas and prominent children's lit bloggers as topics teen girls should know about in this millennium.

The first topic is Tolerance, a theme explored in the kick-off book selection for readergirlz, Nothing but the Truth (and a few whitelies). As prominent blogger, Jennifer Robinson of [jkrbooks.typepad.com](http://jkrbooks.typepad.com), noted, teens "need to know that when they are mean or intolerant to other people, they're doing damage.'

In conjunction with the first novel, teen girls will be encouraged to visit www.tolerance.org to learn how to safely stop bullying and to apply for one of the organization's Mix It Up grants to break social and racial barriers within their schools.

ABOUT THE READERGIRLZ FOUNDERS

Dia Calhoun is the winner of the Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature, and author of five young adult fantasies,including Avielle of Rhia and The Phoenix Dance.

Janet Lee Carey won the 2005 Mark Twain Award for Wenny Has Wings, and her forthcoming young adult fantasy, Dragon's Keep, has already received a starred review in Booklist.

Lorie Ann Grover is a former ballerina-turned-verse-novelist whose acclaimed work includes On Pointe and Loose Threads, a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.

Justina Chen Headley sold her first two novels at auction, including her debut, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies), named Chicago Public Library's Best of the Best.

For more information about readergirlz, please visit their website (www.readergirlz.com), MySpace (www.myspace.com/readergirlz and groups.myspace.com/readergirlz), and LiveJournal (readergirlz.livejournal.com).

Contact: Justina Chen Headley at justina@justinachenheadley.com

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