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Below is the second post in the series, by Sarvenaz Tash, middle grade author of The Mapmaker and the Ghost. Read on as Sarvenaz talks about one of her favorite childhood middle grade books, The Witches. Then check out our giveaway!

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Reading was one of my favorite pastimes as a kid. This is probably not surprising given what I do now! But it was a little surprising, I think, for my family back then. With the exception of my dad (who’s big into history and non-fiction books,) no one in my family was particularly into reading fiction.

I discovered books when my 2nd grade teacher read Beverly Cleary books to us in the classroom. At first, I wanted to buy the books, too, so that when I played teacher with my stuffed animals, I would be doing so more faithfully. (I was a stickler for accuracy.)

But then I discovered the joy of reading them on my own. There were all sorts of stories, all sorts of people to meet and places to go, and they were just waiting for me on thousands and thousands of pages. Even though my family wasn’t big into reading themselves, they sure encouraged my voracious love of it. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

If I had to pick one author who influenced me and my childhood reading (and my writing later on), it would have to be Roald Dahl. The Witches, in particular, was my favorite book of his. But, really, I loved them all. I loved his dark and dry sense of humor. I loved how the adults in his book were at the very least a little twisted and, more often than not, rather sinister. I loved how it never felt like he condescended to kids, like his books always were telling you that–in some ways (like recognizing witches)–kids knew more than adults did.

I think that’s an extremely powerful message when you’re a kid, when it feels like most things are out of your control and like your choices are mostly those of your parents or teachers or other adult figures. There’s something wonderful about being let into a secret club or being told there are some things that are meant just for you.

Roald Dahl passed away when I was nine. And I remember when I heard about it being so sad, because I knew there were only a finite amount of his books I could ever read. I doled them out to myself over the next two years, only taking one out of the library for every other five or six books I checked out. The last one I read of his (for the first time) was The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me. I remember that distinctly.

And I’ve never forgotten what his books meant to me. I know that a lot of the humor and adventure in The Mapmaker and the Ghost, my debut middle grade book, is inspired by him and his work. And maybe, even, a sinister adult or two.

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ABOUT SARVENAZ

Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, NY. She received her BFA in Film and Television from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. This means she got to spend most of college running around and making movies (it was a lot of fun). She has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copywriting, and professional tweeting. Sarvenaz currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. The Mapmaker and the Ghost is her debut novel.

Photo by: Corinne Ray

website | blog | twitter | facebook | goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

To win copies of The Witches and The Giraffe and the Pelly and Me, as well as a The Mapmaker and the Ghost bookmark, signed bookplate, and sticker set, simply comment below and tell us about your favorite Roald Dahl book! Have you read and loved The Witches? What are your middle grade memories?

For an extra entry, tweet about this post and include the link to your tweet in your comment.

This giveaway begins now and ends next Tuesday, May 22 at 5:00 p.m. EST. The winner will be announced shortly thereafter. This giveaway is U.S./Canada only.

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Love Middle Grade Memories? Check back on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the summer for more in this series!

You can view previous Middle Grade Memories posts below:

• author Marissa Burt and Where the Red Fern Grows

Below is the first post in the series, by Marissa Burt, middle grade fantasy author of Storybound (and its upcoming sequel, Story’s End). Read on as Marissa talks about one of her favorite childhood middle grade books, Where the Red Fern Grows. Then check out her generous giveaway!

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First, for those who aren’t familiar with the story or need a refresher, Marissa has provided a summary from Amazon:

In Where the Red Fern Grows, Billy and his precious coonhound pups romp relentlessly through the Ozarks, trying to “tree” the elusive raccoon. In time, the inseparable trio  wins the coveted gold cup in the annual coon-hunt contest, captures the wily ghost coon, and bravely fights with a mountain lion. When the victory over the mountain lion turns to tragedy, Billy grieves, but learns the beautiful old Native American legend of the sacred red fern that grows over the graves of his dogs. This unforgettable classic belongs on every child’s bookshelf. 

This was one of those books — the stories I couldn’t set down and instead finished in the wee hours of the morning.  I remember tucking the flashlight back into its spot under my mattress and holding the volume to my chest, sobbing into the darkness. You would think it likely that a young girl living in suburbs of Portland might have a difficult time relating to a country boy and his coon-hunting dogs, but the drama of this tale and the powerful writing captivated my imagination.

I cried buckets of tears over Rawls’ masterpiece and reread the final chapters over and over, willing the story to end differently.  I had read other books dealing with death before this, of course, but my animal-loving soul was struck by the finality of it all, especially in the face of the heroic courage of Old Dan and Little Ann.  The themes in Where the Red Fern Grows are complex: the success of having worked hard for something good, the cruelty of the boys, the intensity of the hunt, and the heart-stopping moment with the axe are all woven together with explorations of human loneliness and the joy of animal companionship.

I revisited this book when I taught fifth grade, and I read it aloud to my class after lunch. This proved to be an ill-thought out choice when I found myself struggling to get through the final pages, my voice breaking even as I read the inevitable ending. I doubt there was a dry eye in the room, and the story stayed with us throughout the day as the children talked about death and loved ones  and how that made them feel. I remember that the students’ desire to talk made me uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to say or how to listen and, for a moment, I regretted choosing that book for our read-aloud. You see, I had passed fully into grown-up land and felt the impulse to explain away the injustice of the story or at least to offer some sort of comforting platitudes. Looking back, I rather wish middle-grade me could have been in the class that day. What I really wish I could have done was to pass around the tissue box, sit down, and sob over the unfairness and ugliness of death and revel in the preciousness of life. This is one of the books crafted to make you feel things deeper than you can articulate or even fully understand, which might be one of the reasons why it is the perfect middle-grade read. 

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ABOUT MARISSA

Marissa Burt writes middle grade fantasy and is represented by Laura Langlie of the Laura Langlie Literary Agency. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, and drifted eastward, living in Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, and South Carolina, before coming back home to the Pacific Northwest.

It’s not that the brilliant people at Simon & Schuster and I didn’t like the first title; nay, we ADORED it and think it’s just as beautiful as the new title. (This is what we crooned to the first title right before we kicked it out the door with a good-bye cupcake in hand.) It’s just that titles are tricksy little hobbitses, that’s all.

So, without further ado, here is the new title of The October Year:

The Year of Shadows

Isn’t it wonderful?? I just love it. Lyrical, mysterious, hinting at sinister goings-on and a time of great change. In other words, absolutely perfect for the story of Olivia Stellatella.

Well? What do you think?

Welcome to my stop on the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes! aka, a HUGE blog hop put on by the 2012 debut authors of the Apocalypsies!

Over 50 authors. Over 50 books. Prize packs of ARCs, gift cards, swag, and MORE!

If you haven’t yet been to the Apocalypsies website, please click here to start from the beginning and read the complete rules. The race begins Wednesday, May 2 at noon EST and ends Tuesday, March 8 at noon EST.

Now on to the race!

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The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls by Claire Legrand

Victoria hates nonsense. There is no need for it when your life is perfect. The only smudge on her pristine life is her best friend Lawrence. He is a disaster—lazy and dreamy, shirt always untucked, obsessed with his silly piano. Victoria often wonders why she ever bothered being his friend. (Lawrence does, too.)

But then Lawrence goes missing. And he’s not the only one. Victoria soon discovers that Mrs. Cavendish’s children’s home is not what it appears to be. Kids go in but come out . . . different, or they don’t come out at all.

If anyone can sort this out, it’s Victoria, even if it means getting a little messy.

You can also check out Cavendish at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Indiebound, and Goodreads!

Now, hold all that information tight in that awesome brain of yours. You’ll need to remember it for the upcoming quiz!

But wait, there’s more! ANOTHER giveaway!

Updated (5/8): And the winner is . . .

Linda (Book Ninja)!

Congratulations, Linda! I will contact you via email shortly.

Thanks to everyone who participated — in both the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes and my own giveaway! Also, after reading through all your comments about what creeps you out, I’m seriously sleeping with the light on tonight!

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That’s right!

See, there are a lot of bugs in Cavendish. And they’re not very nice. In fact, they’re downright gross and creepy. (I have this phobia about bugs, especially beetle-type bugs, so what better way to overcome that than to be alone in the middle of the night, in the dark, writing about swarms of them?? Oh, the logic of writers.)

ANYWAY. I have a couple of bugs here that are the exact opposite of gross and creepy. In fact, they are quite adorable and I love them so much that I kind of want to keep them for myself but I won’t. Nay, they are for you! WHAT? It’s my birthday and I’m giving presents to other people?? I KNOW, IT’S CRAZY AROUND HERE.

The first one is named Vincent. Here he is:

And here’s his buddy Jared:

And here they are together (they be rollin’):

(I found these bugs, by the way, at this Etsy shop, Gloombug.)

For a chance to win one of these two bugs, simply comment below and tell me what creeps YOU out — that’s it! This giveaway — like the YAmazing Race — ends Tuesday May 8 at noon EST. I’ll announce the two winners that afternoon!

Thanks for stopping by! Ready to move on to the next stop in the YAmazing Race? Click HERE.