Laura Manivong

I've been hanging out here lately (http://bit.ly/9Irpd), but thought I'd drop in . And if you're not on Twitter, Facebook, or Verla Kay's blueboards, then you might not have heard me breathe a huge sigh of relief. So just in case, here's ESCAPING THE TIGER's first review from Uma Krishnaswami. It's wonderful to share this with other book lovers, so thank you!
http://bit.ly/9Irpd

This debut novel for upper elementary and middle school-aged readers tells the story of Vonlai Sirivong who is twelve at its opening and sixteen at its conclusion. In between we witness his first frantic escape with his family from their native Laos, then in the hands of the dreaded Pathet Lao. We follow them to refugee camps in Thailand before they finally gain admittance to the United States. Escaping the Tiger is a deeply felt story, simply told. Vonlai’s relationship with his older sister Dalah, and his shifting role relative to his parents, constitute the heart of this story. As he forges a place for himself despite the gritty conditions of the camp, playing soccer and waiting for an endless series of papers that bring in turn food, education, and finally freedom, he comes to understand what really matters in life. Manivong has created a believable protagonist, and she does not shy away from depicting the difficult living conditions in the Na Pho refugee camp. There are many threats to Vonlai’s family, including the near-rape of his sister. Nor does the story default to an undilutedly happy ending—instead we come to care about characters who make unexpected decisions, or who are left behind. Based on the author’s husband’s own experiences, this is a vivid and lovingly drawn tale of people caught in the crossroads of history and struggling to retain both dignity and hope.

BIBLIO: 2010, HarperCollins, Ages 10 to 14, $15.99.
REVIEWER: Uma Krishnaswami
FORMAT: Middle Grade
ISBN: 978-0-06-166177-8

Edited to add:
And now this from Linda Sue Park!
http://lsparkreader.livejournal.com/61626.html

How will I ever top this day?

For more info, visit me here: http://lauramanivong.wordpress.com

My brain has been jumbled for months, and so has my office, but NO MORE. It's painted. It's organized. And it's conducive to writing (I hope!) http://tinyurl.com/n8ah9f

Now three more big things on my list before Escaping The Tiger comes out:
1. Launch website
2. Debut book trailer
3. Write another book (that really should be #1, but procrastinating is my favorite pastime)

P.S. The novel's up at AMAZON*, but there's no picture yet.

*relevant because Harper bought this book in Dec. 07, and I can now officially say things are moving along! ~golf clap~

Drop in and say hi.

http://lauramanivong.wordpress.com

...that author being me.

here:

LauraManivong.wordpress.com

: )

here:
http://lauramanivong.wordpress.com

Here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/rcbzg4

Looking for a literary agent can feel like a full time job. Here's how I did it.
Blog by Laura Manivong

Hope it helps!

So I'm trying to be hip, trying to be cool. Can you go peek here, please?
http://lauramanivong.wordpress.com

There's not much to look but if someone could throw a comment my way at the wordpress site, I'd like to experiment with categorizing stuff.

I'm extremely proud that I was able to get my tweets to show in the sidebar. You gotta understand...I've worked in TV for 20 years and I can't even hook up a VCR (guess I should be saying DVD Player these days).

Thanks!!

From HarperCollins Children's Books on 2. 17. 10



Me? !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The biggest full moon of the year graces us tonight.
Raise a glass and say cheers to Lon Chaney Jr.



photos courtesy of http://PDPhoto.org

image in public domain

On this day in history, year 1719, the US first recorded this marvel.
Marvel more: http://tinyurl.com/5huegt .

The William C. Morris Award honors a book written for young adults by a first-time, previously unpublished author. The winner will be named Jan. 26, 2009 during the Youth Media Awards at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. 

A Curse Dark As Gold

Elizabeth C. Bunce

published by Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic

(9780439895767)

This supernatural novel retells the story of Rumpelstiltskin, setting it at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution and centering it around the life of Charlotte Miller. When the bank wants to repossess her mortgaged mill, Charlotte strikes a bargain with the mysterious Jack Spinner, (a creature who knows the art of turning straw into gold), but then discovers she must free her loved ones from a generations-old curse.


See more on my pal, my peep, my fellow canine enthsusiast, my neighbor, my CP, my inspiration (yeah, I'm fond of her):
elizabethcbunce.livejournal.com
elizabethcbunce.com

Congratulations to all the finalists:
Graceling
by Kristin Cashore (Harcourt/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Absolute Brightness 
by James Lecesne (HarperTeen/Laura Geringer Books)

Madapple
by Christina Meldrum (Knopf, an imprint of Random House)

Me, the Missing, and the Dead
by Jenny Valentine (HarperTeen)

 
So my little book is in French now. Who would've thunk? Not sure how rhyme translates but come on, French kids are readin' 'bout me fish.

I have no idea what Poison Velour means...sounds itchy, though.

Okay, admittedly this feels awkward, but if you want a peek inside my head, go here:

http://community.livejournal.com/kidlit_central/37633.html 

Thanks to crcook.livejournal.com for her wonderful interview.

So I have a designer. I've kept a list of author websites I like. I'm just over a year away from my novel's publication date so we have time, but what now? For you authors who have already built your website...

What is critical for me to know?
What seems to be readers' favorite part of your websites?
And what do you like about other authors' websites?
What about including an excerpt of work to be published (I'll check with my editor, too.)?

Guess I need to buckle down and write some content, but I'm relying on you pros to help me avoid any disastrous moves.

Thanks for any words of wisdom you can provide.

Tracy Marchini ( www.tracymarchini.com ) has worked as a literary agent's assistant at Curtis Brown, Ltd. for over two years, and has spent a significant amount of time answering Laura Manivong’s newbie questions. Before joining Curtis Brown, she worked as a freelance children's book reviewer for BookPage and as a correspondent for the Taconic Press. She’s also well-known for being the only second grader in her class to write a book report on a book she penned herself. So Tracy understands both the authoring side of books, as well as the literary agency side.

Without further ado, here’s Tracy Marchini “On Both Sides Of The Box: The First Picture Book.”

  

( ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BOX: THE FIRST PICTURE BOOK )Thank you Tracy, for dropping by!

Why, you ask, is this day to be described as banner-ish?
Because it's the first day evah that I've felt the need to post TWICE in ONE day.

What, you ask, is the reason for this urgency to post?
Well, I bought a new bottle of mouthwash today. It expires October 2010.  October 2010!

How, you ask, is this relevant? 
Because by October 2010, my book, Escaping The Tiger, will have been out for the better part of the year!

Can I get a golf clap, please?

So if all you 2010 debut authors want to make your publication date not seem so far away, just take a jaunt down the medicine aisle, or even the canned goods aisle, and see the year of your book debut in print. It's truly exhilarating!