| |
Click
logo to check out THE BROWN BOOKSHELF!
This
issue @
IN
DA CLUB, we're
spotlighting THE BROWN BOOKSHELF as we talk to its five committee
members: Paula Chase-Hyman, Carla Sarratt, Don Tate, Kelly
Starling Lyons, and Varian Johnson!
What is the mission of The Brown Bookshelf?
Paula Chase: To increase awareness to the growing number of African Americans writing for children.
After looking at your
MySpace page and your
website, I notice that your focusing on a wide rang of fiction - from children's literature to young adult literature. Do you find yourself focusing on one specialty more than another? How are you able to give enough focus to all specialties?
Paula Chase: We made our committee diverse - we have an author who has written in each specialty: PB, MG, YA - that way we're able to shine the light on our specialty. Typically Varian and I tend to focus more on YA because we're YA authors and that's our focus. But then Carla is also a YA author, but she's more diverse in the books she covers. Kelly and Don focus their energies primarily on picture books. So as long as we all add our voice in, we cover the entire spectrum.
What are three must-read YA novels on the market right now?
Paula Chase: This is a tough question to answer because to me reading is a personal thing. But, I'm going to choose books and explain my choices.
At the risk of looking like a blatant self-promoter I'm going to say one must-read is Varian Johnson's My Life As a Rhombus and my own Del Rio Bay series.
Rhombus because it's about teen pregnancy, something that's become very "now" because of movies like Juno and the upcoming TV show "The Secret Life of An American Teen." Varian wrote this book before any of these things hit the screen and were popular. He's ahead of the trend, as it were and it's a good book to boot.
My series because it offers a perspective that many African American teens live but that's not widely portrayed in fiction - the duality of being a suburbanite. When it comes to teen fiction, Black 'burb teens are like this odd creature publishers aren't quite sure how to market to. Inner city teens have always had stories written for them. Rural teens not so much but they're at least portrayed in a historical vein. But when it comes to suburbia we're either a token character or completely left out of it. How often does anyone tackle how 'burb teens must go with the flow of both their African American peers and the "mainstream" of their surroundings? My books portray that teen and the diversity of those kind of friendship circles.
My last is Troy Cle's Marvelous Effect series because it's a fantasy novel with African Americans as lead characters. Harry Potter may be old and graduated, but there's still a thirst for fantasy and sci-fi and Cle's novel is - as far as I know - one of the few African-American fantasy books a publisher has taken a chance on.
African American authors writing for children are still striving to get paranormals and sci-fi books sold to publishers. I'm hoping Marvelous Effect will change that. If people buy and read that, the industry will understand how diverse our reading base is.
Kelly Starling
Lyons: After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson
Game by Walter Dean Myers
Del Rio Bay Clique series by Paula Chase Hyman
Carla Sarratt: I’ve read many great YA titles over the past year or so, but the three titles that stand out to me and I am most likely to recommend to others are Tyrell by Coe Booth, The Kayla Chronicles by Sherri Winston, and Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers. All vividly told with deep honesty, these are stories of empowerment, overcoming life’s obstacles, and true perseverance.
Why do you think YA fiction is so hot right now?
Paula Chase: All genres experience a cyclical up and down. In a way, it's just YA's turn. However, I do believe that YA is not just hot but going through a renaissance of sorts. The YA reader is more mature these days, more savvy and in some cases older - a lot of adults are reading YA these days. So YA fiction has had to "step it up" in order to cater to the changing market.
Maybe it's not that it's hot, but that people who don't normally read it are and that's
what's drawn so much attention.
Have you noticed any new trends in children's and YA fiction?
Don Tate: The picture book market still seems to be in a slump, but slowly recovering. Visit the children's section of any bookstore and that will be evident. Editors and agents are a bit more cautious when considering a picture book manuscript — middle grade and YA are what's hot. In an uneasy picture book market, the bottom line (big sales) trumps a fresh new voice and a great story. But I'm always encouraged when I visit a reading or library conference. Picture books are getting published, maybe not in the same numbers as they were in the heyday of the 90s, but new titles are forthcoming.
Also, it's a good day for the author/illustrator. Editors love it when they have a great manuscript in hand by an illustrator who can also successfully carry the art. And, finally, illustration styles among African American children's literature run the gamut from highly stylized to realistic, naive to cartoony, even digital — a far cry from earlier days when realistic portraiture was the norm.
The words "edgy" and "commercial." I hear those words tossed around quite a bit lately.
Kelly Starling
Lyons: The historical fiction category is growing. There are many picture books being published about the Civil Rights Movement. There was a time when you'd have a hard time finding one. I also see a rise in middle-grade titles.
Carla Sarratt: In addition to the birth of Kimani Tru for young adult readers, another trend is the growth of Christian fiction from authors like Stephanie Perry Moore, Jacquelin Thomas, Victoria Christopher Murray, and
ReShonda Tate Billingsley. The latter three authors are known for their Christian fiction titles for adults and have now expanded their writing to include stories written for young adults.
We’ve also seen a growth in African American series over the past decade. I am hoping to see an increase in science fiction, paranormal stories, and more stories told for male young adult readers.
Talk to us about your project: 28 Days Later; what was the spark that created this idea? How well did 2008's 28 Days Later go over with your audience?
Paula Chase: The Readergirlz initiative motivated us. Readergirlz is a group of authors who got together to promote books that empower girls and women. Varian emailed me and pointed out how something like that for African Americans is needed and we decided to give it a try.
Our audience are gatekeepers and so far it's reached them. Librarians especially have been very receptive to the idea because often they're limited by budget in how many books they can purchase. 28 Days Later gives them a new angle on books that should be considering and recommending.
Outside of the web, what are you all doing to promote African American literature for children and young adults?
Don Tate: Admittedly, I could do more. But I do visit schools and libraries. I share my work and the work of other authors and illustrators. I try to inspire kids, particularly those who enjoy writing and illustrating, to think about their future careers. I stand as an example of an African
American male who's found success and gratification in the field of publishing.
Beyond that, I'm always talking-up African Americans in children's literature — books and creators.
Kelly Starling
Lyons: I facilitate a book club for African-American girls. At each meeting, we discuss two picture books by black authors. It's my way of empowering young people with stories that reflect their images and voices. Many of the girls in the book club attend predominantly white schools. In their classes, they do not get a chance to see the rich diversity offered in children's literature. So the club is an important educational and social forum. I also make myself available as a resource to groups and individuals who want suggestions of picture books by black authors.
Are there other projects and/or initiatives that you plan to take on under THE BROWN BOOKSHELF?
Varian Johnson: This summer, Paula is heading up our Summer Chat Series on our
MySpace page. Our next chat will be on July 23rd, and will focus on the role of independent bookstores in getting children's and young adult literature to the public. Our final chat, on August 6th, will focus on what teen readers have to say about their favorite books.
|
