Women Writers of Color: Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Full name: Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia

Current location: Falls Church, Virginia

Website/Blog: wendyshang.com; I also belong to a blog of middle-grade writers called fromthemixedupfiles.com

Genre: middle-grade fiction

WiP or most recently published work: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu

Writing credits: The Great Wall of Lucy Wu, plus some legal publications. I have an article in The 4:00 Book Hook, a monthly e-newsletter on children's books, coming out next month.

How frequently do you update your site? monthly

Is your site designed for reader interaction? no

Post of note, something in particular you want readers to check out:

On the Mixed-Up Files, we really pride ourselves on covering everything related to middle-grade books. I was very proud to showcase a children's book club for teachers at my son's school. Here is the link.

Top 5 books that turned you into a writer?

Blubber, by Judy Blume: This was the first book I ever read that had a contemporary, Chinese-American character. This book taught me the importance of having characters that children can relate to.

Interpreter of Maladies, by Jhumpa Lahiri: Her prose is so delicate yet powerful. I have to say that the first time I read her work, I felt as though I was reading in a whole new way.

Take the Cannoli, by Sarah Vowell: Her work makes me laugh and think in equal measure. I would love to have that effect on a reader.

Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster: For me, Juster didn't color outside the lines. He invented new colors, and molded the lines into new dimensions. Rarely a day goes by without some quote from that book popping into my head.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Kongisburg: Everything about this book is a marvel to me: the structure, the voice, the style. I love that in the midst of an incredible story, the author never lost sight of the hearts of the children.

100 words or less: How would you describe your work?

My work is about the modern Chinese-American experience, frequently with a humorous touch. In my book, Lucy Wu thinks she is about to have the best year of her life: she is about to rule the school as a sixth-grader and get her own room. When her dad announces that he's invited a long-lost aunt from China to stay in Lucy's room, however, she thinks that year is ruined. Lucy discovers that, just like the Chinese saying that things that look to be bad often turn out well, and vice-versa, her year may yet be wonderful.

100 words or less: Please share your thoughts on children and reading.

I believe that writing for children is a form of service. When you give a child a chance to see himself or herself reflected back in a book, whether it is by appearance or circumstance, you are telling that child, you are valued, you are not alone. When you give children the chance to see the world from a different point of view, you are also doing something valuable – you are allowing them to expand their perspective, their knowledge, their imagination and their heart.

Women Writers of Color: Candy Gourlay

Full name: Candy Gourlay

Birth date: April 19, 1962

Hometown: Born Davao City, Philippines - though I'd call Cubao, Metro Manila [Philippines] my real hometown

Current location: London

Website/Blog: http://tallstory.net

Genre: I'm not sure - is there such a thing as culture clash as a genre (though the clash is very gentle)?

WiP or most recently published work: Tall Story


Writing credits:

I was a journalist in the first 20 years of my working life. Now I am attempting a career in writing fiction for children. I have written for Cbeebies the BBC baby radio channel, and contributed to anthologies. Tall Story is my debut novel.



How frequently do you update your site?

I blog on candygourlay.blogspot.com and I update my website tallstory.net whenever I have any new reviews and I try to create materials that teachers and librarians can use to supplement any work they do with Tall Story. Increasingly though, in terms of an internet presence, I find that all roads seem to lead to my Tall Story Facebook page!

Is your site designed for reader interaction?

Yes! Readers can interact with me via my guestbook and there are lots of things for teachers and librarians to download. My Tall Story Facebook page is great for sharing images, links and videos. Or for readers to drop by to say hello or to tell me they've read my book.

Post of note, something in particular you want readers to check out:

My most recent notable post is a reflection on the 1986 People Power Revolution in the Philippines, in the light of recent events in the Middle East.

Top 5 books you’re looking forward to in 2011?

I am desperate to read the third book of Kathleen Duey's The Resurrection of Magic but I don't think it's coming out in 2011.

My friend L.A. Weatherly's new Angel trilogy

Angel's Fury by Bryony Pearce

Muncle Trogg by Janet Foxley

Fiona Dunbar's new Kitty Slade series

Gillian Philip's Firebrand

Top 5 books that turned you into a writer?

Pop Stories for Groovy Kids by Nick Joaquin

My first taste of contemporary, well written stories for children, by a Filipino with a Filipino setting - it has a Bernardo Carpio story that made me realize that I too could use the Filipino giant in my writing.

(Oh btw - I had no idea when I read Pop Stories that I would someday be working for its publisher, Eggie Apostol!)

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

I read this so many times as a young person - I wanted to be Jo, the writer in the brood. But now when I read it as an adult I wonder how I managed to plow through it ... the language is so archaic!

The Prince and the Pauper by Samuel Clemens

I just love the dual perspective, the bringing together of two stories. And when I re-read it, it's still resonates!

Spider-Man by Stan Lee

Not a book - but I loved the soap opera of Peter Parker's life, the uncertain hero. Still a Spidey fan to this day!

Beverly Gray Mysteries by Clair Blank

A 1930s serial I found in my grandmother's library. Beverley is desperate to get published, becomes a reporter, gets rejected, meets and marries an Englishman before finally having her book accepted. Little did I know it would be the story of my life.

(I was tempted to include Mills & Boon but I don't want to disillusion my readers.)

I will include that last part in the interview. =P

I found out that one of my writing idols - Malorie Blackman - was also an avid Mills & Boon reader. I told her my favourite author was Charlotte Lamb - who wrote these amnesia love stories (love amnesia!) - she said Charlotte Lamb was her fave too! And then one day she was lecturing and mentioned this to the class [of writers] - one of the students was the daughter of Charlotte Lamb!

100 words or less: How would you describe your work?

I find it hard to describe my work – my characters are usually transplants from other cultures in a journey to discover their own uniqueness as well as the universality of experience. I like taking myths from my native Philippines and bending them to unusual effect. I am surprised by the underlying sadness that seems to come out in my writing because I am a relentlessly jolly person. I think this must come from being geographically separate from my family in the Philippines. The jolly does come out though – there is always a streak of funny in my writing.

100 words or less: Please share your thoughts on children and reading.

I once heard the Newbery winning author Richard Peck say: "If a child doesn't find himself in the pages of a book, he will go looking for himself in all the wrong places." I thought of how as a child I didn't see myself in the pages of the books that I loved - the characters were all fair skinned and lived in snowy places. It made it hard for me to believe that I could become what I dreamed to be - an author. So when I write, I always try to remember that I am holding up a mirror to a young person somewhere - and my dearest wish is that they like what they see or at the least see the infinite possibility that waits ahead.

Thank you so much for having me.

THANK YOU, CANDY!!!

Reading Jhumpa Lahiri

Over the past month, I have read Jhumpa Lahiri's novel and short story collections for grad school and I must say, I am looking forward to rereading the short stories and reading her new work.

The London-born, Rhode Island-raised, Brooklyn-based Lahiri is of Bengali descent and most of the characters in her books are Bengali or Bengali American. Her novel-turned-movie, The Namesake (Houghton Mifflin, 2003), is the coming-of-age story of Gogol Ganguli, a man trying to distance himself from his Bengali immigrant parents and their way of life. But most of Lahiri's short stories are not about the immigrant experience or about cultural identity crises similar to what Gogol Ganguli went through. Her short stories are about love and desire, miscommunication and misunderstanding, death and loss. Above all, her short stories are about relationships. They are nuanced and authentic portrayals of friends, lovers, parents and children, siblings, and family friends. Lahiri is especially skilled at writing stories about marriage - particularly about the challenges of marriage.

It's no wonder her first collection of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies (Houghton Mifflin, 1999), won a Pulitzer in 2000. My favorite story in Interpreter of Maladies is "A Temporary Matter." Since their baby was stillborn, Shukumar and Shoba have been eating dinner separately: husband in the study; wife in the living room. For five days, their neighborhood's electricity is cut off from 8 to 9 p.m. (Repairmen have to fix a damaged line.) This forces Shukumar and Shoba to dine together by candlelight. Shoba remembers a game she used to play while visiting relatives in Calcutta. When the power would go out, everyone would take turns saying something interesting. Shoba suggests that she and Shukumar tell each other a secret during every power outage. Over the five nights, crushing secrets are revealed.

"A Temporary Matter" is a painful and fascinating look at a couple unable to overcome the grief over their dead child together.

Unaccustomed Earth (Knopf, 2008) is Lahiri's bestselling second collection of short stories. My favorite story in this collection is "Hell-Heaven," a powerful and entertaining story about the young Usha and her mother who falls in love with a family friend named Pranab. (Pranab is like an honorary uncle to Usha.) The love is unrequited and Usha’s mother is so devastated when Pranab falls in love with someone else that she douses the sari she is wearing with lighter fluid and prepares to light a match.

I recommend Jhumpa Lahiri's works. Her prose is simple, yet also really detailed and assured. Her stories are thought-provoking and you will marvel at how well-written they all are.

Women Writers of Color: Grace Lin

Full name: Grace Lin

Birth date: Year of the Tiger!

Hometown: New Hartford, NY

Current location: Somerville, MA

Website/Blog: www.gracelin.com; www.outergrace.blogspot.com; www.facebook.com/authorgracelin

Genre: children's books for kids pre-school to 6th grade

WiP or most recently published work:

Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same!, an early reader (1st, 2nd grade)




Writing credits:

Author/illustrator of over a dozen picture books, including Dim Sum For Everyone! and The Ugly Vegetables. Author/illustrator of middle grade novels, including Year of the Dog and Newbery Honor Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

How frequently do you update your site?

I update my blog approx. 3-4 times a week, my website twice a year.

Is your site designed for reader interaction?

My blog and Facebook page are, especially the Facebook page. The website, not so much.

Post of note, something in particular you want readers to check out:

For more about me, I was recently interviewed at the Smithsonian's BookDragon blog.

100 words or less: How would you describe your work?

For me, my work is not meaningful unless there is a personal element to it. Most of my books are Asian-American as that is what I am and is a part of what I want to share with my audience. But even before the multicultural aspects of my work, the most important thing is that the book is greatly enjoyable. So, I'd like my work to be described as fun and entertaining, but still meaningful & heartwarming.

100 words or less: Please share your thoughts on children and reading.

Sometimes writing for children gets looked down upon as lesser writing, especially for the younger reading levels. I can understand the fallacy as, of course, the vocabulary, sentence structure, and style is simpler. However, anyone who has studied haiku poetry knows that simpler does not mean less skillful or less important. Writing for children is perhaps the most important writing any author can do, it is the skill of a children's author that changes "a child who can read" to "a real reader." In other words, please do not look down on authors of children's literature. We are writing so that kids will love reading books so much that they will grow up and read forever!


Author photo credit: Alexandre Ferron

Dear Greenwillow Books

Dear Greenwillow Books,

I understand that you are worried about the sales of Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon and the potential sales of its sequel, Fury of the Phoenix. Oh, I know that you are not worried that Asian-inspired YA fantasy will not sell. If that was your worry, then you would never have chosen to publish Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix in the first place.

The hardcover edition of Silver Phoenix has an Asian model on the cover. The paperback edition of Silver Phoenix and the hardcover edition of Fury of the Phoenix both use a Caucasian model on the cover. I take that to mean that you are worried that American readers will not buy books with Asians on the cover.




Whitewashing a book cover does injustice to the book because it misrepresents the book and misleads readers. Moreover, there is racism at work in the whitewashing of book covers because of the underlying assumption that Asian faces are "not good enough" to sell books, or that Asian faces will somehow "turn off" non-Asian readers and keep them from buying the book.

Honestly? Those assumptions HURT.

Here's an idea, Greenwillow: Worried about the sales of an Asian-inspired YA fantasy novel? Next time try to refrain from whitewashing the book cover, which is morally wrong. Try selling more copies of the book (with an Asian model on the cover of course, or no model on the cover at all) in Asia. There are ONE BILLION children and teenagers in Asia. Worried about having to translate the book? There's no need to worry! There are MILLIONS of Asian children and teenagers who speak, read, and write in English. And try selling more copies of the book to the millions of people who are part of the Asian diaspora all over the world.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Off to buy multiple copies of the hardcover edition of Silver Phoenix,

Tarie Sabido

Author Interview: Candy Gourlay

This interview was originally posted at Asia in the Heart, World on the Mind on November 30, 2009.



Tall Story is about Bernardo, an 8 ft. tall boy (a giant!) in the Philippines, and his half-sister Andi in the UK. I really enjoyed reading Tall Story. It's an interesting story and I love so many things about it: How it is about family, Filipino legends and superstitions, and basketball. Its melding of British humor and Filipino humor. Andi's strong and fresh voice. How the main characters seem so real that a part of me thinks there really is an 8 ft. tall boy named Bernardo in the Philippines with a sister named Andi in the UK. I love how in Tall Story there is the question of how belief in legends and superstitions affects how one reacts to events... And does something happen (or not happen) because of a person's belief (or lack thereof) in a legend or superstition?

Tall Story is for children aged 10+ and will be published by David Fickling Books in the UK (June 2010) and the US (early 2011), and by Cacho Publishing House in the Philippines (date to be announced). Today, I am excited to present an interview with Tall Story author Candy Gourlay!

Candy is a Filipino writer who lives in the UK. In the Philippines, she was a journalist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer. In the UK, she was the London correspondent for the news agency Inter Press Service and editor of the pan-European magazine Filipinos in Europe. Candy moved to the UK in 1989 after she married Richard Gourlay, who was the Manila correspondent for the Financial Times of London. Richard and Candy have three children.

Hi, Candy!

What was the spark that set you off writing Tall Story?

I have always been fascinated by gigantism and had the germ of an idea - a teenager who suffers from gigantism.

As an awkward teenager, I felt like a freak - a lot of teenagers, the uncool ones like me, feel like that, don't they? I thought: what if you really were a "freak"? Maybe, a giant?

And then, my sister (Joy Ramos) told me the story of Ujang Warlika.

When her husband, Bong Ramos, a former PBL (Philippine Basketball League) player turned PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) basketball coach, was coaching Aspac Texaco, an Indonesian team, he was asked to turn Ujang into the equivalent of Yao Ming, the Chinese giant.

The thing was, Yao Ming at 7 feet 6 inches was genetically tall ... and Ujang who was 7 feet 4 inches was not tall, he was a giant - he suffered from the disease called gigantism, caused by an overactive pituitary gland that overproduces growth hormones. Ujang ended up spending a lot of time hanging out with my sister's daughter Camille, who is a tiny but formidable basketball player. Camille now plays for La Salle [University] and the Philippine Women's team. Poor Ujang died of his illness.

Please guide us through your writing process, particularly the writing process you used for Tall Story. What influences and inspirations (both literary and non-literary) did you draw from while writing? What were the challenges and rewards from writing Tall Story?

The Philippine legend of Bernardo Carpio is an important part of Tall Story. Can you tell us a bit about the legend and why you incorporated it into the novel? Did you do a lot of research on the legend, or did you rely on the stories you heard growing up?

When I started writing Tall Story in September 2008, I only had that tiny idea - about a teenager with gigantism. I thought of setting it in the UK, but the UK is not a basketball playing country (even though my sons love it, they discovered basketball watching PBA games in the Philippines).

I thought of setting it in the United States - but that would have been super risky, never having lived in the States.

I asked myself what I did know?

I read everything I could find about giants, all the folklore and all the legends. This brought me to Bernardo Carpio, the Filipino legendary giant. I read all the different versions of the Bernardo Carpio story and realized that through the years it had been adapted by storytellers to suit the times - Bernardo Carpio was a metaphor for the resistance against Spain, he was an explanation for a lot of geology in the Montalban area, and he was even a Christ metaphor in the early 1900s. Nick Joaquin wrote a wonderful time travel story featuring Bernardo Carpio in Pop Stories for Groovy Kids, retellings of Filipino stories published in the 80s. That decided me - I was going to tell my own version of Bernardo Carpio and other Filipino folk tales.

I really set out to reflect a Filipino sensibility, despite the story being set partly in London. I had a fear that some Filipinos might not like the way I portray them, given Pinoy sensitivities about their image in the rest of the world. But I set out to capture that unique sense of humour that I miss so much living abroad - our love of poking fun at the way we have domesticated English, the spiritualism that borders on superstition, the rich storytelling seam, the showbiz dramatics, the sense of family and belonging. I hope Pinoy readers will recognize how lovingly I wrote it .. fellow expatriates might feel the undercurrent of homesickness that underlies the whole novel which is the lot of the Filipino abroad. I suspect this will be a constant feature in all my novels!

Was it difficult getting an agent? What was the path to publication for Tall Story?

I have been trying to get published for nine years. I know this because I recorded the date when I started writing my first novel. Tall Story is my fourth!

That first novel was set in London with English characters and had a gripping enough first chapter to have the whole manuscript invited back whenever I sent it out. But I didn't know the ups and downs of plot or in-depth characterization, and had a slew of rejections. I had so much to learn.

I decided to throw myself into the process of learning. I joined the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and tried to attend every event and volunteered for anything going. I thought I would also use my journalistic skills and report on what I learned in a blog - which continues to this day - Notes from the Slushpile.

But it was only when one agent told me, "Why are you writing about English characters? A first novel should reflect the author's experience." that I realized that I was not mining the wealth of experience and story that my heritage had to give. It was only when I started setting my stories in the Philippines and using Filipino characters that my writing really came alive. After that flurry of rejections with my first novel, I became more cautious. I didn't submit my novel to every agent I ever met or heard of. I concentrated on learning to write rather than getting published.

In 2008 I won a place in SCBWI's inaugural Undiscovered Voices anthology with an excerpt of Ugly City, my dystopian fantasy set in a city suspiciously like an extreme Manila. The agent Hilary Delamere had already read another novel of mine and called to tell me she liked it BUT ... after a bit of discussion, she asked if I had anything else. I sent her Ugly City and three days later she signed me up.

Where were you and what were you doing when you found out that your novel was going to be published? What were your first thoughts and feelings? How did you celebrate the good news?

I'm afraid I didn't believe it. I was sure I'd heard wrong and it was only when I actually met my agent at an event a few days after she told me that I felt I had permission to tell the world. Over the years, I guess I'd become overcautious and my default position was rejection. It was really hard to take in the news. I celebrated in little ways with my family and friends. I think it was only the reaction of my 10-year-old friend Hugo that convinced me it was really happening. Last summer I read chapters of Tall Story to Hugo and a bunch of other children.

Candy: Hugo, my book is going to get published.
Hugo: (slightly bored) Which one?
Candy: Tall Story.
Hugo: (genuinely thrilled) TALL STORY? THE ONE YOU READ US LAST SUMMER? THAT IS SO COOL!

And after that I thought it was so cool too!

How are you going to promote Tall Story? What are your plans for its release?

I have not really made plans that far ahead, although June 2010, the launch date in the UK is coming very fast. I want to do some fun stuff online, maybe make some YouTube videos with the kids which I love doing anyway. I will have to redesign my website of course ... and I am hoping my brother Armand Quimpo who is a cool motion graphics animator will make me a book trailer. [Ed. note: See book trailer at the beginning of this post!] I'm definitely going home to the Philippines for the Philippine launch but it's still early days so watch this space!

The two main characters in Tall Story, siblings Bernardo and Andi, make important wishes on a wishing stone. What are your wishes for Tall Story?

Do I get three wishes?

One of my big wishes has already been answered: that a Filipino publisher will take it to a Filipino audience. That has always been so important to me and I made that clear to my agent from the moment we started talking about selling my books. My second wish would be that my readers would love my characters as much as I have come to love them. And my third wish? That the book might inspire kids to read more ... and to write.

THANK YOU Tarie!

Thank you, Candy!!! I can't wait for the world to read Tall Story.

Women Writers of Color at the Asian Festival of Children's Content

I was in Singapore last week for the inaugural Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC). The AFCC consisted of four programs: the Asian Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference, the Asian Children's Publishers Symposium, the Asian Primary and Preschool Teachers Congress, and the Asian Parents Forum. I attended events for the Asian Children's Writers and Illustrators Conference and the Asian Children's Publishers Symposium and learned SO MUCH about Asian children's and young adult books.

I'd like to share pictures I took of some of the women writers of color who were speakers, presenters, and panel moderators at the AFCC.

First up are pictures of popular Indian children's book writer Anushka Ravishankar. Anushka has won national and international acclaim for her verse-tales published by Tara Books. Rights to her books have been bought for the US, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Korea, Italy, Japan, and Spain.



Rukhsana Khan is an award-winning Pakistani Canadian author for young readers. Her books include stories set in India and the Middle East.


Uma Krishnaswami is an Indian American author for young readers. She is part of the faculty of the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.













Author/illustrator Naomi Kojima was born in Japan and grew up in the US. She currently resides in Japan. Her picture books have been published in the US and Japan, and have been translated into French, Swedish, and Indonesian.







Dr. Murti Bunanta is the author of fifty children's books in Indonesia, five of which have won international awards. She is the president and founder of the Society for the Advancement of Children’s Literature and the Indonesian Board on Books for Young People.



Misako Ohnuki is the director of the culture division of the Asia/Pacific Cultural Center for UNESCO (ACCU). She has written picture books and textbooks for children, and is a professor of children's literature at Japan Women's University.



Mita Kapur is a freelance journalist and literary agent in India. She is the founder and CEO of Siyahi, a literary consultancy.



Teri Tan is an international correspondent for Publishers Weekly. She has worked for Simon & Schuster (Singapore), Prentice Hall (Malaysia), Thomson Learning (Singapore), and Pearson Education Asia.






Shamini Flint writes children's books with cultural and environmental themes and crime fiction for adults.


Daphne Lee is a children's book writer and editor in Malaysia. She has a weekly column on children's and young adult books in The Star. She also heads The Dram Projects, a non-profit organization that uses bibliotherapy to reach out to marginalized youth.




For more about the AFCC, check out my blog posts:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

If you have any questions about the AFCC, please leave them in the comments below. It was an incredibly inspiring conference and I would love to discuss it with all of you!

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything by Lenore Look

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything
Written by: Lenore Look
Illustrated by: Anne Wilsdorf
Simon & Schuster
2006
For ages 6-10 / Grades 1-5



Whoa. Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything takes all the best things from Ruby Lu, Brave and True - relatable and lovable characters, humor, and good clean fun - and kicks things up a notch.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True ends with Chinese American second grader Ruby Lu at the airport with her family and friends to greet relatives emigrating from China. Ruby meets her cousin Flying Duck for the first time, but feels as though she has known Flying Duck all her life. Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything picks up right where Ruby Lu, Brave and True left off. Ruby is adjusting to sharing her home with Flying Duck and her aunt and uncle. She loves all the hustle and bustle and special attention that comes with welcoming her relatives to America. Most of all, Ruby loves Flying Duck. Flying Duck is deaf, but can speak and lip-read Cantonese, lip-read a little English, and do Chinese Sign Language. Flying Duck is the same age and grade as Ruby, and like Ruby, she is smart, sweet, and fun.

There are things Ruby does not like about living with her relatives. She doesn't like how nobody at home speaks English anymore, or how chopsticks completely replaced forks at the dinner table. There are many more things Ruby doesn't like about living with her relatives, but it's not that she doesn't like different foods, languages, or habits. She just doesn't like having her life turned upside down.

Ruby has even more on her plate. These days she's always fighting with her best friend and neighbor Emma. One fight was so bad that she tried to jump Emma! Ruby wonders why friendship is so hard. Ruby is also getting into trouble at school. In fact, she has to go to summer school. Yikes. Plus, Ruby's parents are making her take swimming lessons even though she is afraid of swimming and water. Double yikes. Oh, and there are all the items on Ruby's 12-Step Summer Plans to take care of!

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything is about family, friends, school, summer, and community, and it has so much drama and excitement! Ruby gets into several scrapes that made me laugh out loud or cringe in embarrassment for her, or both! Ruby, the little girl all little girls can relate to through her adventures, continues to entertain and inspire. Lenore Look's clever and imaginative writing continues to delight. Anne Wilsdorf's black and white spot illustrations continue to charm.

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything is the perfect summer read for the special little girl in your life. :o)

Book Review: Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look

Ruby Lu, Brave and True
Written by: Lenore Look
Illustrated by: Anne Wilsdorf
Simon & Schuster
2004
For ages 6-10 / Grades 1-5



Ruby Lu, Brave and True is an astonishingly good early chapter book. The writing is clever and imaginative. Each chapter is a realistic and funny story about being a little girl.

Ruby Lu is in the second grade and she is a character readers will love. She can do magic tricks. She thinks everyone should wear reflective tape. She can't wait to get her driver's license and start using credit cards. And she loves her baby brother Oscar - most of the time. Readers go through Ruby's adventures with her: from going to Chinese school every Saturday and dealing with a mean girl, to learning how to drive (!!!) and welcoming relatives emigrating from China. Through it all readers will see that Ruby is smart, sweet, and fun. Readers will also see Ruby's weaknesses and her not so smart-sweet-and-fun moments. But they will still sympathize with Ruby and have a good time and laugh with her.

Ruby Lu, Brave and True is a precious, precious book!

Women Writers of Color: Dorina Lazo Gilmore

Full name: Dorina Kailani Lazo Gilmore

Birth date: 05.01.1977

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois

Current location: Fresno, California

Website/Blog: www.health-full.blogspot.com, www.shens.com

Genre: Children's picture book

WiP or most recently published work: Cora Cooks Pancit (Shen's Books)

Writing credits:
My most recent children's book is Cora Cooks Pancit (Shen's Books). My poem "City Jazz" was just published in the February 2010 issue of Cricket Magazine. I also have two other picture books, including Children of the San Joaquin Valley and A Stone in the Soup: A Hmong Girl's Journey to the United States (Poppy Lane Publishing). I was the editor and a contributing poet for the anthology, Mosaic Voices: A Spectrum of Central Valley Poets (Poppy Lane Publishing). I am a frequent blogger and freelance writer for various magazines. Before I became a mother, I worked in journalism and was published in The Fresno Bee, The Arizona Republic, The Chicago Tribune and other publications.

How frequently do you update your site?
I update my Health-full blog weekly. It's a place where my husband and I write about food, nutrition, exercise. I also share my original recipes on that blog.

Is your site designed for reader interaction?
Yes, we encourage comments, questions and feedback from our readers.

Post of note, something in particular you want readers to check out:
My husband and I are also involved in connecting resources with Haiti. We would love more people to know about our non-profit and to join us as we send relief to our dear Haitian friends since the January 2010 earthquake. www.christianfriendshipministries.org

100 words or less: How would you describe your work?
My writing is decidedly multicultural. I am fascinated by the nuances of culture as represented through music, food, stories and dance. I grew up in a multicultural family and I believe there is a need for today’s young reader to have more exposure to multicultural stories and books with multi-ethnic protagonists. My writing, in both poetry and prose, seeks to illuminate a new face and give voice to a different storyteller.

100 words or less: Please share your thoughts on children and reading.
Every day I sit down with my two daughters (and sometimes more children) to read. It's my favorite time of the day as we explore the world together through stories. My mother always read to me and recited poetry. She inspired me with her love for good books and the way she made the words come alive. Books are a place where children can actively learn to interpret the world and understand it. I believe it is imperative that we work together to produce and promote more multicultural books for children so they can find themselves in books.