I can’t remember when I learned what the word gay meant. I remember people snickering when Maria sings “I feel pretty and witty and gay!” in West Side Story and not getting the joke. I remember how “that’s so gay” was used as an insult in middle school and I repeated it, not fully understanding what it meant. Will & Grace came on the air just as I entered high school. That is likely when I started to understand what gay meant, though it was packaged in a bright, shiny, made-for-prime-time TV package.

There have been many TV shows, movies, and books since the explosion of Will & Grace that address LGBT issues and feature well-rounded characters instead of just stock characters. YA fiction in particular has been very good at addressing the need for more LGBT content. More Than Just Magic is doing a month long YA Pride series, so be sure to drop by and check out her recommendations (including my book Days That End in Y). Teenagers are famously preoccupied with love and relationships, so it’s only natural that questions of sexual identity and preference are explored in YA fiction. But the middle grade years (ages 9-12) are when kids are the most in need of answers, empathy, and someone to relate to. YA is too late. You need to reach children in their middle grade years, when it really counts.

So I wrote for them.

I knew many boys like Benji growing up. I babysat them, drove them to camp, sang in choir with them, sat next to them in school. Only they were not openly gay then. Some of them were too young to identify. They may have felt different, but couldn’t put their finger on why. They may have understood that it wasn’t safe for them to come out, and so they waited until they were much older and long gone from their hometowns to do so. Do these boys see themselves in fiction? I certainly had a hard time tracking them down.

It was always my intention to address Benji’s sexuality but it needed to be at the right time. I am thankful to Scholastic Canada for giving me three books to develop his character and bring him to a place where he can admit such a deeply personal and scary thing to his best friend. I hope that my readers who have grown to love Benji can accept him as well, and in turn, accept those in their lives who need all the love and support they can get.

I hope that when children read my series about Benji and Clarissa they learn something about empathy and bravery. I hope kids who are struggling with their own sexuality are inspired by Benji’s bravery and comforted by Clarissa’s acceptance. I hope it prepares kids to be open and compassionate when their own friends come out to them.

We still have a long way to go. Books featuring gay characters are among the most consistently banned or censored books in America. I recommend the following middle grade novels featuring positive gay characters or children questioning their sexuality. Please feel free to leave your own recommendations in the comments:

Stitches by Glen Huser

Drama by Raina Telgemaier

See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Marco Impossible by Hannah Moscowitz

Pride is about love and acceptance- so go forth and spread the love!

Here it is recommended in my favourite childhood magazine, OWL:

And again in Canadian Family magazine:

The June issue of Quill and Quire had this to say:

“Author Vikki VanSickle beautifully captures the novel’s time and place. Reenie’s affection shines through the lush descriptions of the resort and its surroundings. It’s hard not to fall in love with Reenie’s favourite place. And it’s just as hard not to fall in love with Reenie.”

and my favourite tweet thus far, from @jennaillies:

“Summer Days, Starry Nights reads like if Kit Pearson wrote Dirty Dancing.”

Um, have nicer words every been spoken? I think not!

I am a sucker for all things Gothic. The Victorians may have had some weird ideas about things, but they certainly make for excellent fiction. Such is the case in this debut YA novel, In The Shadow Of Blackbirds, which lacked a little in richness and depth but nevertheless was a compelling and original story.

It’s 1918 and the United States is at war with Germany and in the grip of the Spanish Flu. Mary Shelley is sent to live with her aunt in San Francisco after her father is accused of being a traitor and her mother dies. There, Mary learns that her childhood friend and sweetheart Stephen has been killed in action. But Stephen appears at her bedside every night, screaming about blackbirds and covered in blood. A woman of science, Mary doesn’t believe in spirits but she cannot deny Stephen’s presence. Why is he haunting her? Is he caught between worlds, or is there something about his death he wants her to know?

I first picked this book up because I liked the setting of San Francisco at the tail end of WWI and in the throes of the Spanish Flu. It is easy to forget that this flu killed 20 million people world wide. Some estimates are as high as 100 million. Author Cat Winters does a great job re-creating this era of uncertainty, death, and superstition. Much research has gone into the odd remedies people used to ward off the flu, including wearing necklaces of garlic and burying themselves in onions.

This book unfolded like a traditional mystery and felt quite procedural at times, with Mary Shelley puzzling over clues, questioning possible suspects, and then arriving at the scene of crime only to have the perpetrators appear, confess, and threaten her own life. Cat Winters‘ writing style is brisk and well-paced and the book was extremely visual. At times I wanted her to flesh out the secondary characters a bit more. Particularly Aunt Eva, who felt under-developed to me.

This is a moody book, full of nightmares, a ghost suffering from shell shock, desperate people and illness. What happens to Stephen is truly horrible, but their is relief at the end when Mary Shelley is able to help him rest and she herself goes forth to do good in the world. A great read for fans of gothic fiction such as This Dark Endeavour, Masque of the Red Death, The Madman’s Daughter and The Diviners.

In The Shadow of Blackbirds is available now in hardcover from Amulet Books.

Last week was a wonderful blur, starting with the Toronto launch of Summer Days, Starry Nights. I was so touched to see so many friends and readers come out on the rainiest day of the year to celebrate with me. It was exactly what I wanted and you’ve made me all a very happy lady. Dani at Bookish Notions did a fabulous recap here.

I also went home to Woodstock to do a signing at Merrifield Bookshop. It was wonderful to see so many friends, former teachers, young fans, aspiring writers, and perhaps most touching, the former children’s librarian of the Woodstock Public Library, Judy Down.

Judy is a warm and wonderful person who resided over the children’s department, which during my time lived in a completely separate building from the rest of the library. You had to walk across a catwalk to get to the adult library, which always seemed so hushed and serious. Judy and her staff created an inviting hub of books and crafts, perfect for children. There have been many wonderful children’s librarians in Woodstock since Judy retired 17 years ago, but she was my introduction to the library and all the wonderful things that it offered. She even kept my card behind the desk so I wouldn’t lose it! 

For those who were unable to make it out to either event. there are signed copies at Mabel’s Fables in Toronto, Merrifield Bookshop in Woodstock, and in both Chapters Burlington and Indigo Burlington. This Saturday I’ll be in Erin Mills! Come say hi at 1pm!

Stay tuned for more event info and some pretty awesome reviews!

Hello Summer, you’re lookin’ fine!

Tonight kicks off 6 weeks of signings, workshops and events. Am I coming to a town near you?

TORONTO BOOK LAUNCH- May 28th, 7pm

• 3030: 3030 Dundas West and High Park, Toronto

WOODSTOCK BOOK SIGNING- June 1st, 1pm

• Merrifield Bookshop: 417 Dundas Street, Woodstock, On

CHAPTERS ERIN MILLS- June 8th, 1pm

CANWRITE CONFERENCE- June 13-14

• June 13, 3:30-4:45: “Mapping Your Audience”
• June 14, 2:15-4:45:  ”Connecting with Your Audience: Writing for Middle Grade Readers”
• Lakehead University Orillia campus

CREEMORE- June 15

• Farmer’s Market: 10-11am. Station on the Green, Creemore
• Curiosity House Signing: 11-12pm. 178 Mill Street, Creemore

CHAPTERS BRAMPTON- June 23, 1pm

See you there! 

When I first heard there was to be a sequel to the wonderful One Crazy Summer, I squealed, just like Vonetta is wont to do. It is one of the most highly decorated middle grade titles of the last ten years and deservedly so. To see why I loved this book so much, click here.

P.S. Be Eleven begins on the plane, when Delphine, Fern and Vonetta are returning home to New York after spending ‘one crazy summer’ with their free-spirited activist mother. But one can never come home again, as Delphine discovers that things have changed in her absence over the summer. Delphine is surprised to find that her beloved father has a girlfriend and can’t make heads or tails of her uncle’s strange behaviour.

This book is as close to bottled adolescence as you can get. Delphine’s instant love for The Jackson Five and her unmitigated glee when they come on the radio is so charming and realistic I can barely stand it. I want to reach through the pages and squeeze her cheeks. Just as authentic is her distrust of Miss Marva Hendrix, her father’s love interest, and her deep love but disappointment in her loved Uncle Darnell who is back from Vietnam and not the man he was before.

The classroom scenes are my favourite. They are vividly and hilariously rendered. Group dynamics, especially among children, can be extremely hard to convey but RWC does this with ease. It helps that every single student and their teacher have such distinct personalities, even in the brief, shining glimpses we get of them.

While in no way a history lesson, Rita Williams-Garcia* is able to bring history to life through vivid, imperfect but lovable characters who readers can relate to, despite having little (or no) historical context. Fiction is a great means to learn history. Case in point, I have read exactly one work of nonfiction on WWII but have read innumerable fictional novels set in the era. Williams-Garcia touches on Vietnam, civil rights, racism, drugs, poverty and feminism without ever straying from Delphine’s hilarious and unforgettable voice.

P.S. Be Eleven can be read as a standalone, but do yourself a favour and read One Crazy Summer first. One can never have enough Delphine in her life. Fans of Susin Nielsen, Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, Gordon Korman and my books (ahem) will love reading about these unforgettable sisters.

P.S. Be Eleven is available in hard cover from HarperCollins.

*Rita Williams-Garcia is all kinds of awesome. Check out this great Q&A from the Indigo Kids Blog.

On the eve of my fourth -FOURTH!- book publishing, I have been reflecting on what I’ve learned about writing professionally.

1. Writing doesn’t get easier. It’s not like after four books I can sit at the computer and stories just pour out onto the keys. The process of writing- the thinking, experimenting, research, etc- is just as challenging as it was the first time I completed a novel. Each story has it’s own challenges and quirks and requirements, making the experiences varied. This is the exciting part for me. If writing was a staid, formulaic process I would get bored.

2. Learn all you can about the industry, then forget it. I firmly believe you should be informed about and involved in your industry of choice. In this day in age there is no excuse for ignorance. But while it’s nice to know what’s popular and selling and what books have won awards, don’t let it inform your writing. If you don’t feel passionately about your characters and your story that will come through in your writing. You’ll probably get bored. All of a sudden writing will feel burdensome, instead of invigorating. The market is always elusive and fickle, why on earth would you let it dictate what you’re passionate about?

3. Tell everyone you are an author. This is one I still need to work on. When people ask me what I do, I always answer “I work in publishing.” This is true, but while I may work in publishing, I AM an author. It’s a deeper part of my identity. Luckily I have wonderful friends who will pipe up and say “AND she is a published author.”  It always feels a bit creepy and self-aggrandizing to say the words out loud which is of course ridiculous. I’m not bragging, I’m stating a fact- one that I am very proud of. I am an author! I love being an author! Kid’s books are THE BEST! I have found that most people are thrilled to meet an author, and in some cases it has lead to unexpected readers or even school visits.

4. Enjoy every step of the process. Writing is not results based. As wonderful as it is to hold your bound book in your hands or see it face out on a shelf, the process is full of many exciting and fulfilling moments; falling in love with an idea; finally working out a plot quirk that’s been driving you crazy; finishing your first draft; stumbling upon the perfect title; securing a contract; reading your first editor’s letter; seeing your cover for the first time; a young fan telling you they loved your book- all of these moments are just as exciting. Note that many of them have little or nothing to do with reviews, awards, or sales. Try not to forget that.

5. Self promotion is part of your job. These days if you want to reach as many readers as possible, you need to be active, particularly online. It is a fact of life, one that stresses a lot of writers out. There are MILLIONS of readers online just waiting to love your book, but you need to make yourself available to them. It is easy to get snowed under by all of the many ways to be connected. Blogging, twitter, facebook, and Goodreads are good places to start. Find out which methods you enjoy and make time for them, but don’t let them eat into your writing time. Approach it as a dutiful pianist who must first do scales before digging into that Sonatina- who knows, you may even enjoy it!

I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It’s been getting flawless reviews, but to be  honest I’ve just about had my fill of contemporary YA romances starring quirky, intelligent misfits. But what sold me on this book was the unique take on teenage obsession and the truly painful depiction of Eleanor’s home situation. 

Park doesn’t know how or when it happened exactly, but somehow he has fallen in love with the new girl, Eleanor. ‘Big Red,’ as she is referred to by most of the school, doesn’t seem to care about what she looks like or making friends with anyone. Eleanor is equally shocked at her intense affection for the beautiful half-Asian, comic-book reading boy on the bus. But despite their differences, their relationship escalates to surprising levels.

Eleanor is a non-traditional love interest. She wears old men’s clothes, is constantly described as big or fat, and in many cases is the more assertive half of the relationship. Park finds innumerable ways to describe Eleanor’s colouring, particularly her red hair, which I loved. Park is also an unlikely male romantic lead. Eleanor describes him as beautiful, almost feminine. I like how the author Rainbow Rowell subverts traditional ideas of masculinity and femininity.

The contrast between Eleanor and Park’s families was fascinating and will be eye-opening for teen readers. I loved the scenes with Park’s family. His parents are dopey in love, even after a number of years. His father, an army man, has some difficulty with Park’s experimentation with punk makeup, but he loves his son and is very supportive of Eleanor. His mother, a Korean immigrant who runs a beauty salon out of their garage, is slow to warm to Eleanor but when she does she embraces her warmly.

Eleanor’s family situation is full of silences, rushed private moments, and fear. She shares a cramped room with three younger siblings who seem to be warming to their monster of a step-dad out of preservation. I truly despised Eleanor’s mother, who has trapped her family in a dangerous family situation with volatile, drunken, violent Richie. In addition to her home situation, Eleanor suffers at the ends of a number of school bullies. I won’t go into the details here, only mention that it is girl on girl crime and makes the reader’s stomach turn.

The book escalates to a point where Eleanor must make a hard choice, and the last few chapters are addictive and adrenalin soaked and I found myself rushing through them, wishing for the best and the impossible. The last few words are open to interpretation, and the internet is a-buzz with speculation about just WHAT is on that postcard.

This is a rich, surprising, and satisfying novel of love, escape, and hope. Eleanor & Park is available now in hard cover.

We are now three weeks away from the launch of my new book, Summer Days, Starry Nights- an ode to summer, the 1960s, and friendship- three of my favourite things! I thought I’d answer some basic questions here to get people excited.

Q: Why the 1960s?

A: I love the 1960s, particularly the music. For the first time, women were singing songs that other women could relate to. I read Girls Like Us, an amazing in-depth triple biography of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon and Girl Groups, Girl Culture, a great book about popular music in the 1960s, which helped flesh out what was going on with women, music, and social change during the time period.

Music and identity play big roles in Summer Days, Starry Nights. Both Gwen, mysterious wayward ballerina, and Reenie, dependable country girl and a classic middle child, are trying to figure out who they are and what their place in the world is. Gwen introduces Reenie to girl bands like The Shirelles, The Crystals, and The Chantels. It seemed natural to set a coming of age story at a time where the whole world was coming of age.

Q: Is the resort Sandy Shores based on a real place?

A: When I was young my family spent a number of summers at a resort near Orillia, Ontario called Lake Dalrymple Resort. I have fond memories of the resort, and the layout of Sandy Shores is based on the layout of this resort, more or less. Of course I changed things to suit the plot, which is one of my favourite elements of fiction writing.

Q: What inspired the book?

A: The name Reenie Starr came to me first. I started to think about who this Reenie Starr was, how she did or did not live up to her name. I gave her two siblings, Scarlett and Bo, and then I wondered who would name their children after movie stars and lo and behold their mother- a woman who prefers to be called Mimi, not Mama- was born.

I also wanted to write a summer book and for me summer is always connected to the 1960s, probably because of movies like Dirty Dancing, My American Cousin, The Man in the Moon, and A Walk on the Moon. I remembered how much I loved the resort on Lake Dalrymple and how as a kid I thought it would be absolute heaven to live there all year. So through the magic of fiction I got to experience that by having my protagonist live on a summer resort.

I had a lot of fun (and spent a LOT of time) creating and seeking out inspirational playlists, like this one from songza. You can check out some of my inspirational images, girl groups, etc on the Summer Days, Starry Nights pinterest board here.

Toronto friends I hope you’ll join me at 3030 on May 28th for the launch. I will also be making appearances in Woodstock, London, Brampton, Erin Mills, Creemore and Orillia in the next two months- stay tuned for dates.  Remember you can pre-0rder on Amazon, Indigo, or at your local bookstore. 

Those of you who have heard me say ‘I don’t really read much sci-fi or fantasy’ probably have a hard time believing me given the number of speculative books I’ve reviewed recently. The truth is I LOVE a well told fantasy or sci-fi novel, I’m just EXTREMELY picky about what I read. The Fifth Wave is is one of better ones. If you’re looking for a fast-paced survival story with a touch of sci-fi, this should be your go-to summer read (in addition to Summer Days, Starry Nights of course).

Despite being a standalone book, The Fifth Wave has the scope, range of characters, and the same taught tension as Justin Cronin’s best-selling The Passage. We are introduced to Cassie, sixteen, paranoid and alone, hiding from an unknown alien foe in the woods. Cassie tells us about the previous waves of invasion and how quickly earth’s population has been decimated in a matter of months. Next we meet Ben, a schoolmate of Cassie’s who has been recruited by a covert military operation who are training children to become ultimate alien-killing machines, a la Ender’s Game.

The teens in this novel are up against some pretty serious odds. Parts of the book are vivid and brutal, including Cassie coming upon a dying soldier in an abandoned convenience store, and scenes of cruelty involving a rather sadistic commander and his child soldiers. It’s not gratuitous and helps build up the characters of Ben and Cassie, but it may be hard for some younger readers to stomach.

The strongest part of the novel is how plausible it all felt. I like my sci-fi near-fetched, as opposed to far-fetched. Rick Yancey‘s ‘waves’ of invasion feel frighteningly possible: power outage, natural disasters, viral outbreak, etc. I don’t want to give too much away because the joy of reading this novel is having it unravel as you get deeper into the story. There is a moment when Cassie, who is the character we spend the most time with and grow the closes too, mentions her few possessions, one of which is a box of tampons. YES. Even when on the run from unseen alien invaders, a girl needs tampons. I wish more survival novels acknowledged the necessities of life.

At times The Fifth Wave dips into melodrama in the form of some teen angst and relationships, but I appreciated how Yancey acknowledges that even in the middle of an apocalypse, teens are going to have feelings, much like the teen angst that rears its head in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Overall I could not get enough of this well-paced, suspenseful read. Yancey is an accomplished storyteller who reels you in from the very beginning. This book feels tailor-made for adaptation, perhaps as a miniseries. This is one of those rare books that appeals to both male and female readers, and fans of The Passage, Ender’s Game, The Hunger Games and well-told survival narratives with eat this one up.

The Fifth Wave will be available from Penguin Canada on May 7th.