Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Women Writers of Color: Paula Yoo

Full name: Paula Yoo

Birth date: April 10

Current location: Los Angeles, CA

Website/Blog: http://paulayoo.com

Genre: YA novels & children's picture books

WiP or most recently published work: Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story (Lee & Low '09)

Writing credits: Good Enough (YA Novel, HarperCollins '08) & Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story (Lee & Low '05)

How frequently do you update your site? I try to update on a regular basis.

Is your site designed for reader interaction? Yes. I have a blog and comments section. I also host the annual NaPiBoWriWee (National Picture Book Writing Week) every May that attracts hundreds of participants worldwide!

100 words or less: How would you describe your work? My children's books are narrative non-fiction biographies for older children. Good Enough is a funny and poignant contemporary YA novel about a young girl who thinks of herself as a "violin geek."

100 words or less: Please share your thoughts on children and reading. I started reading books at a very young age. I was in the first grade when I fell in love with E.B. White's Charlotte's Web. That book inspired me to become a writer. Although I love surfing on the Internet, watching TV, and playing video games, there's nothing more transcendent and life-changing than finding a quiet spot to sit back and read a book. Reading transports you to other worlds in a way modern technology can't. I encourage children and their parents to read books on a regular basis.

3 comments:

Doret said...

Good Enough was very good.

And I loved the Shining Star.

Check out this great interview with Yoo about Shining Star

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tWaxak5Xa0

MissA said...

Good Enough was more than good ;) haha but seriously, it was nice to see a book that didn't ignore the college process. I'm always puzzled by books that are supposed to be contemporay fiction about juniors but make no mention of the stress of the college search.

I do agree that one of the greatest pleasures is being able to curl up and read. Even better is when you get to share your love of books with other people, whehter by tutoring, reading to others, giving away a book, passing on a book rec, etc.

Anonymous said...

"Reading transports in ways that technology can't" I like that! And I loved Good Enough!