Summer Reading for Tweens and Teens, Got Gravity?

“What summer reading list is complete 

without a road-trip novel? 

Especially one that extols the virtues of reading sad books and contains the sentence: 

‘Parents are such idiots.’ ” 

—Newsday 

Summer is coming. 

Not that I'm wishing away spring.

omg, no. I love spring. Stay here forever, Mr. Spring!*

But, ready or not, soon summer will be here. I know many teachers, librarians and other reading clubs are already making up their summer reading lists, and I'm really, truly hoping, with the book now out a shiny new, paperback format, THE PULL OF GRAVITY will be on yours.   

The Pull of Gravity is a Bank Street Best Children's Book (ages 12-14) and
a National Battle of the Books selection (7th - 8th grade) for 2013-14.

If you are a local library or program, and you use the book in a group setting, I would be thrilled to pay an in-person visit. If you are not local, I'd be happy to Skype in and talk about reading and writing and do a Q&A.

You can reach me here on my blog, or email me at g.polisner@gmail.com for more information.

If you'd like to watch the charming paperback trailer made by a fifteen-year old boy, you can HERE!

Happy reading!

- gae

*could be a Mrs. What do I know?

My Writing Life: Candy Land

Okay, fine, no, I'm not really going to do another nostalgic board game comparison. But last night was an "author happy night" so I was thinking that the writing life isn't always a game of Chutes & (Chutes and Chutes and Chutes and SEEMINGLY ENDLESS CHUTES FOR GOD'S SAKE!) Ladders, but sometimes, it's actually more a game of Ice Cream Floats, Gum Drop Mountains, and Lolly Pop Woods, and I get to be Queen Frostine for the evening. 

The window of the Huntington Public Library

Take last night, for example.

First of all, there is nothing better about being a YA writer than the people I get to hang out with.

At 6:10 pm I anxiously picked up Nova Ren Suma (Imaginary Girls) and Christopher Grant (Teenie) from the Huntington train station. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see them! There is this really amazing bond that seems to exists between writers who admire each other.

Secondly, there are few things more Queen Frostine than walking up to the venue to find yourself announced on a movie-esque poster in the window! -------------------------------->

I mean, seriously? That does not get old.

At 7 pm, in front of an audience of about thirty, including a surprising amount of tween and teen boys -- which always thrills me since The Pull of Gravity is narrated by a teenage boy --  Nova, Chris and I joined up with our other dynamic YA writer pal, the totally HI-LARIOUS Matt Blackstone (A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie),  and newcomer to our group, Selene Castrovilla (The Girl Next Door) and I got ready to to moderate another one of our 90-second-sampler hours.

I love moderating, though it's pressure-filled too, especially with the 90-second format which requires me not only to read and moderate, but also to time all the readings and be ready to "ding out" any overly-verbose author if the strict limit is exceeded.

So imagine how Mr. Mint it was to see an enthusiastic hand shoot up in the front row belonging to a bold kid named Richie who wanted to know if he might be the evening's official Keeper of the Bell.

Richie got to advance five spaces!

Of course, once that bell reaches your fingers, well, let's just say that Richie was just itching to ring that bell.

He mostly showed great restraint. And most the authors timed their readings well within the limit. In fact, only one of us (I won't name names  *coughs* ) went over and had to invoke the "I'm allowed to finish the sentence I'm reading," rule.

Hint: it wasn't Matt Blackstone, who shows here why he's one of my favorite authors to listen to read aloud:

Afterwards, we took some great questions from the audience, including from my writer pal Mike Sullivan (Necessary Heartbreak) who was there with his lovely daughter and wanted to know how and where we each get our best writer mojo juices flowing. Here's a snippet of Chris and me answering that question (I love how Chris describes his "manna from heaven):

 Afterwards, books were sold and signed, and cupcakes were eaten, as we shared in the giddiness that made us all feel like we'd made it to the palace of King Kandy.

from l - r: matt blackstone, christopher grant, nova ren suma, me and selene castrovilla.

  - gae

Dude.

or, you know, Dudette,

Please join me this coming Wednesday evening, July 6 at 6:00 pm, when I, and my little book, The Pull of Gravity, will join a mind-bogglingly cool and talented crew of  YA authors for a Teen Author Reading Night at the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library (corner of 6th Ave. and 10th St.). The evening is hosted by the amazing and generous David Levithan (The Lover's Dictionary; Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist; Will Grayson, Will Grayson; etc.).
Check him out here on his facebook author page or his website.

If you are in the city, please stop by.

If you are not, please spread the word and send others.

Either way, I will try to live up to the phenomenal company I will be in:

JULY 6
Tara Altebrando, Dreamland Social Club
Matt Blackstone, A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie
Christopher Grant, Teenie
Alissa Grosso, Popular
Sarah Darer Littman, Want to Go Private?
Melissa Walker, Small Town Sinners
Nova Ren Suma, Imaginary Girls; and, (*gulp*) me,
Gae Polisner, The Pull of Gravity.

Hope to see you there.

- gae

Making A Summer Splash!

The cover of the Fanfare
Section of Sunday's Newsday

So, I was sitting at my son's double header on Sunday, when a friend walked up to me and said, "Hey, saw your book in Newsday today."

Since Newsday was kind enough to do a profile on me several weeks ago in the book section, I assumed she was just offering some slightly stale news.

Then my cell phone rang, and it was my mother.

"Have you SEEN Newsday?!" she exclaimed.

Really. She exclaimed it. The SEEN was capitalized in her voice and there was definitely a question mark plus an exclamation in her intonation. Maybe even two.


And, no. I hadn't seen it. I certainly hadn't SEEN it. But I was excited and so my sweet hubby ran out to a nearby gas station and grabbed a copy of the paper. And there in the Fanfare section, as part of a two-page spread, right next to a new John Grisham title, under the heading Summer Reads for Kids was my little book, The Pull of Gravity.

The full spread.

See what I mean?!?!

Wait, if you can't see it well enough, let me show you again:

Now, you can see it, right? :)

Just so you don't hurt your eyes squinting, here's what it says:

"FOR BOYS, AGES 12 AND UP, who may have outgrown action-adventure (and it's barely 200 pages long?)

What summer reading list is complete without a road-trip novel? Especially one that extols the virtues of reading sad books and contains the sentence: "Parents are such idiots." Nick, hero of "The Pull of Gravity" by first-time Greenlawn author Gae Polisner (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $16.99) is a 100 percent inarticulate 14-year-old boy, madly exercising his talent for avoiding everything embarrassing or unpleasant. His pal Scooter -- though dying from a rare disease -- is looking out for him with the accumulated wisdom of his close study of Yoda, sage of the "Star Wars" saga."

I mean, that is some pretty good stuff right there. I almost fell off of the bleachers!

And yes, some emails are already coming in.

So, thanks, I needed that! I HEART you, Newsday!!!! You hear me? I HEART you, capitalized HEART with plenty of exclamations at the end. Even though you keep posting articles about SHARKS and other big things in the water here.

:)

xo gae