Today I’m happy to be the featured author for the Writer Mama Every Day in May book giveaway. Christina Katz is giving away one copy of Book by Book: The Complete Guide to Creating Mother Daughter Book Clubs and one copy of my e-guide Mother-Daughter Book Club Meeting Planner Guides: Collection I. The e-books contains guides for planning activities, discussion questions and food to host meetings for six books: The Healing Spell by Kimberley Griffiths Little, How to Survive Middle School by Donna Gephart, Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins, The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick, and Trauma Queen by Barbara Dee. Together, these two books will help you start a mother-daughter book club and prep for your first six meetings.

To enter, you have to respond in the comments to a question. Today’s question is a fun one: talk about your five favorite books from childhood. Head to Christina Katz.com before today ends to get your name in the drawing.

Glow is a fascinating story that starts during the early days of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1940s and goes back in time to tell the story of a remote mountainous region in Georgia and the generations of whites, African Americans, and Native Americans who lived there. I enjoyed it from beginning to end, and I have a copy to giveaway to one reader who leaves a comment before midnight (PDT) on Thursday, May 24. Also, tomorrow I am featuring a Q and A with the author, Jessica Maria Tuccelli. So read on to for my official review, leave a comment, then check back tomorrow for the author interview.

Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

When Amelia McGee gets a threatening rock through her window on the eve of a picket by blacks in Washington, D.C. in 1941, the first things she thinks to do is send her daughter Ella back to the homestead in Georgia where she will be safe. But something goes wrong on the way. The bus breaks down and deposits Ella late. When she begins to walk to her uncle’s home, two men in a pickup attack her, but she’s rescued before she is seriously injured. So begins the tale in Glow, a novel by Jessica Maria Tuccelli that starts with these early stirrings of the Civil Rights Movement and goes back in time to slavery and the removal of Native Americans from their land.

In remote Hopewell County, Georgia, a mix of fiercely independent people worked a hardscrabble existence in the hills. When preacher Solomon Bounds brings in a hardy strain of tobacco and builds a home with his family and slaves, he lays the footwork for a dynamic that will exist for generations to come.

The storytellers are mostly women: Amelia, Ella and Willa Mae Cotton. Ella is still young and impressionable, not aware of the cruelties of the world for a mixed race child in the 1940s. Amelia suffered the taunts of children who called her a half-breed when she was young, and she remembers her Cherokee grandmother sharing with her the lore of her people. She couldn’t understand hating or loving someone because of the color of their skin, and it seemed natural to her to fall in love with Obadiah Bounds, a black man who is Ella’s father. Willa Mae was born into slavery, and she knew that both her happiness and grief depended on the character of the man who owned her.  She navigated the tricky waters of freedom and survived as a bridge from the old ways to the generations that came after her.

Throughout the saga, Glow paints a story of people for generations who want nothing more than the freedom to decide their own fate and care for their families. It’s a sweeping tale that reminds me Cold Mountain with it’s descriptions of life in the Georgia mountains, and of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman for its scope of American history. Mother-daughter book clubs with girls aged 15 and above will find a lot to talk about including the role of women in the times represented, slavery, Civil Rights and the relocation of Native Americans from their homeland.

The publisher provided me with a copy of this book to review.

Last night was World Book Night, when 1 million books were given away to random strangers by people all over the the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. I was one of the designated givers, and I was thrilled to pass out copies of Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo here in Portland.

I chose Because of Winn Dixie because I believe it’s appealing to young readers who may have be familiar with it because of the movie or because their friends have read it. Also, I loved the story when I read it with my own daughters, and in our book clubs. DiCamillo packs a lot to think about and talk about in this little gem of a book.

As a World Book Night giver, I received 20 copies to distribute. Thirteen of those I gave to a book club for reluctant readers that recently got started for 4th and 5th graders at our local elementary school. The other 7 I gave out randomly at a nearby grocery store. It was interesting to note people’s reactions as I approached them with a book in hand. I could tell they were wary that I wanted something from them that they didn’t want to give. Once they realized that the book was free, with no strings attached, their whole demeanor changed. Everyone I approached had heard of Because of Winn Dixie, even though their kids had not read it. They were happy to receive a copy to keep. My daughter was with me, and initially I had hoped to get a photo of me handing out a book so I could post it here, but we both felt recipients may be uncomfortable accepting the book if we also asked for a photo. So in the end, I opted to keep the memory only.

Here’s a complete list of the books that were given away by volunteers last night. I’ve put an asterisk by the titles That I have read and can recommend for young readers, along with the ages I recommend them for.

*The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Sherman Alexie (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)—ages 14+
Wintergirls, Laurie Halse Anderson (author of Speak)
*I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou (Ballantine)—ages 16+
Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger (Da Capo)
Kindred, Octavia E. Butler (Beacon Press)
* Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card (Tor)—ages 13+
Little Bee, Chris Cleave (Simon & Schuster)
* The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins (Scholastic)—ages 13+
Blood Work, Michael Connelly (Grand Central)
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz (Riverhead)
*Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo (Candlewick)—ages 9 to 12
*Zeitoun, Dave Eggers (Vintage)—ages 15+
Peace Like a River, Leif Enger (Grove Atlantic)
A Reliable Wife, Robert Goolrick (Algonquin)
Q if for Quarry, Sue Grafton (Berkley)
*The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini (Riverhead)—ages 15+
A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving (Ballantine)
The Stand, Stephen King (Anchor)
The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver (Perennial)
The History of Love, Nicole Krauss (WW Norton)
The Namesake, Jhumpa Lahiri (Mariner)
*The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien (Mariner)—ages 15+
Bel Canto, Ann Patchett (Perennial)
My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult (Atria)
Housekeeping, Marilynne Robinson (Picador)
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold (Back Bay)
*The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot (Broadway)—ages 16+
Just Kids, Patti Smith (Ecco)
The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls (Scribner)
*The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (Knopf Books for Young Readers)—aged 14+

World Book Night in the U.S. is a non-profit organization, and has
501(c)3 charitable status. World Book Night U.S. is supported by publishers, Barnes & Noble,
the American Booksellers Association, the American Library Association, Ingram Content
Group, United Parcel Services, and fifteen printers and paper companies; a full list of
sponsors is at the World Book Night website: www.us.worldbooknight.org.

My experience with World Book Night was very rewarding, and if it’s offered again, and I’m chosen as a giver, I’ll definitely sign up again.

Mother’s Day is just a few weeks away, and the folks at Gone Reading are celebrating with a Month of Mom promotion.

Gone Reading has quite a few gifts to choose from for the book-loving mom, and you can know that a portion of what you buy goes to support reading-related charities such as READ Global and Ethiopia Reads. Gone Reading will also soon partners with libraries in the U.S. to help them raise funds.

So get your shopping done early with one or more of the items Gone Reading offers. And while you’re at their site, enter to win $100 in products they are giving away as well as a $25 Amazon gift card.

Do Something.org is one of the largest organizations in the U.S. dedicated to youth and social change. The organization leads several initiatives aimed at getting young people involved in causes. One of those causes that launches today is also near and dear to my heart: reading and literacy. With the Epic Book Drive, Do Something.org hopes to “mobilize young people to spread the joy of reading and help those who do not have access to books through collection drives.”

According to the organization, last year “100,000 teens ran book drives from 2,500 schools across the country and collected 250,000 books to benefit the Recovery School District in New Orleans.” That’s a lot of books. Here is more information about this year’s book drive:

The big idea: Epic Book Drive

With the school year nearing an end, it’s time to clean out lockers, backpacks, and bookshelves. Now no more teachers, no more books can have an even happier ending. Teens will donate their gently used books to help benefit those in need in their own communities.

Why it matters

Access to books continues to be a barrier in education equality. In fact, 61% of low-income families have no age-appropriate books at all in their homes for their children. Join the Epic Book Drive and give your favorite book to a family in need.

How it works

1. Sign up for a drive in the box above & we’ll give you all the tips and support you need.
2. Grab some friends & run the drive by May 18 to help benefit your community.
3. Share your story with DoSomething.org by May 18 so you can get in the running for the SCHOLARSHIP money. Report backs open on the 22nd of April.

Win Scholarships!

By participating and sharing your story, your team could win SCHOLARSHIP money! The group that collects the most books will win up to $10,000 (with a cap of up to $1,000 per person).

So go ahead and organize a book drive in your area. Find out more about how you can get involved by visiting: dosomething.org/epic.

In this essay, K. L. Glanville, author of 2108: Eyes Open,shares her thoughts on how science fiction can stimulate discussions about morals and beliefs that take place in the here and now. I’ve experienced this in book club meetings myself, as club members discussed the ethics of using imagined medical technologies to prolong human life. Read on to find out more about what Glanville has to say. Then check out the description of her book below the essay and leave a comment by midnight (PST), Monday, April 23 for a chance to win a copy (U.S. and Canadian addresses only please).

Science-Fiction—More Than Just the Imagination?

By K.L. Glanville

I don’t pretend to be an expert on sci-fi by any stretch of the imagination. Yet I still decided to write a futuristic novel. What can I say? Maybe I was a bit presumptuous. I’m simply an author who wanted to have fun writing a novel that takes place in the future. I did have a lot of fun writing 2108: Eyes Open, and I hope you’ll agree with me that the story turned out quite exciting.

In writing 2108: Eyes Open, I wanted this futuristic story to be somewhat plausible, even if it was outlandish and wild. I wanted the technology and issues in my story to be something close to what could possibly happen. I’m not saying that it will happen, but I researched a variety of subjects for the writing of this book. I researched future technology predictions, current cutting edge technology, genetic alteration, GMO’s, futuristic architecture, what people think about aliens, and all sorts of other rabbit trails. There is validity in the saying that truth can be a whole lot stranger than fiction!

As I dove into these topics and later reflected on the resulting story that sprang from it, I began to realize firsthand how the sci-fi genre is used to flesh out possible ramifications of emerging issues in society. Take for instance transhumanism. A big word, I know. It was a new word for me! Transhumanism is basically the pursuit of enhancing humanity genetically and technologically. It would include things like bionic enhancements and mixing animal and human DNA to give humans some enhanced and more animalistic abilities (like seeing in the dark). There are immense ethical issues related to transhumanism that have only begun to be discussed.

After I wrote my book, I realized I had, among other things, offered a commentary on the possible effects of pursuing the limits of transhumanism. The sci-fi genre isn’t just about seeing how far the author’s imagination can go. It can be used as a springboard to explore possible implications of issues and technologies that are emerging now. Reading sci-fi books with your children can be a great way to introduce discussions on ethical issues and ramifications of various thoughts and technologies.

I hope that when you pick up a copy of my new book, 2108: Eyes Open, both you and your child will enjoy a wild ridethrough the story . . . as well as be stimulated to think and discuss!

From K. L. Glanville about her book: 2108: Eyes Open is a fun, intense, a bit romantic and adventurous coming of age story about Jewel Peara, where she learns about the lives of other people and beings sharing the planet in the year 2108. Here’s an introduction of the story in her own words:
“It’s the year 2108. I just turned 16. That means I can access the autopilot on my Aerokopa. So now, I can both fly and scope the Dat-X at the same time. But what good is that when I don’t even have a date to my best friend’s party of the century? Okay, well, one of the Holdouts offered to go with me . . . but there’s NO WAY I’m going with one of them! And then there are the Trollers docked at the quay. They’re most likely spies working with the Aliens, bringing nothing but trouble. But with this visit, they may even bring war. It would be treason to talk to them, let alone . . . befriend one. But what’s a curious girl to do? Did I tell you I have a propensity for trouble?”

Glanville is touring a few other blogs in the coming days. If you’d like to check her out in other places, here’s where you can find her:

Wednesday, April 11: Chapter by Chapter (book review & giveaway)
Thursday, April 12: Beautiful Blank Pages (author interview & giveaway), Adriana Ryan’s Blog (author interview & giveaway), Book Journey (book review)
Friday, April 13: My Guilty Obsession (book review & character interview with Jewel)
Saturday, April 14: The Children’s and Teen’s Book Connection (author interview)
Sunday, April 15: Stiletto Story Time (book review & giveaway)
Monday, April 16: Young Adult Books–What We’re Reading (book review)

The Cooney Center, which is an independent research and lab that supports research, development, and investment in digital media technologies to advance children’s learning, is collecting information about children’s reading habits for a new report on literacy. They are hoping to include 800 parents in the survey. Here’s what the center says about the survey and why they are conducting it:

“The Cooney Center is exploring ways in which the development of early literacy skills are being shaped by the challenges and opportunities new technologies afford in our digital age. We have undertaken a series of “quick studies” under the leadership of our Research Director Dr. Lori Takeuchi that are tracking the ways in which adults today read with their young children, as well as the ways in which children are building their emerging literacy skills in the transition from print to digital (that is now well underway among older youth.) We plan to release early findings on our inquiries this Spring.

To supplement our  field research observing families’ reading behaviors, we are now conducting an online survey of parents’ use of digital media and caregiver-child reading practices more generally. We have already received over 500 responses through our snowball approach. While the survey will not constitute a nationally representative sample we believe we will have some interesting findings.

The survey takes about 20 minutes   We are aiming to reach over 800 families.”

If you are the parent or guardian of a child between 2 and years of age, you are eligible to participate. Parents who complete the survey will have a chance to win a $50 gift card to Amazon.com. Click here for more information about the survey and to participate.

Everybody Wins! in a non-profit dedicated to improving literacy levels by mentoring low-income youth. Their philosophy is one mentor, one child, one book at a time, and since it’s founding in 1991 Everybody Wins! has grown to include programs in 16 states reaching thousands of children.

You can help their cause simply by watching the book trailer for Rose’s Garden by Peter H. Reynolds. Dedicated to Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, Rose’s garden is about community, nature, beauty, and the power of faith. For every 10 people who watch the 60 second trailer, Fablevision, a media and interactive development studio, will donate one children’s book to Everybody Wins!

When A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness came out in hardcover last February it was an immediate hit. Debuting at #2 on the New York Times bestseller list, it’s been getting rave reviews since. Now, publisher Penguin has released the title in paperback, and you can win a copy by commenting here by midnight (PDT) on Wednesday, January 11. The giveaway is restricted to addresses in the U.S. and Canada.

Here’s a synopsis of the book from the author’s website:

“When historian Diana Bishop opens a bewitched alchemical manuscript in Oxford’s Bodleian Library it represents an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordinary life. Though descended from a long line of witches, she is determined to remain untouched by her family’s legacy. She banishes the manuscript to the stacks, but Diana finds it impossible to hold the world of magic at bay any longer.

For witches are not the only otherworldly creatures living alongside humans. There are also creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires who become interested in the witch’s discovery. They believe that the manuscript contains important clues about the past and the future, and want to know how Diana Bishop has been able to get her hands on the elusive volume.

Chief among the creatures who gather around Diana is vampire Matthew Clairmont, a geneticist with a passion for Darwin. Together, Diana and Matthew embark on a journey to understand the manuscript’s secrets. But the relationship that develops between the ages-old vampire and the spellbound witch threatens to unravel the fragile peace that has long existed between creatures and humans—and will certainly transform Diana’s world as well.”

A Discovery of Witches is the first book in the All Souls Trilogy. The second in the series, Shadow of Night, is due in summer of 2012. To find out more about Deborah Harkness and her books, visit the author’s website. And don’t forget to leave your comment for a chance to win.

When Mari McCarthy was last featured on Mother Daughter Book Club.com, it was to talk about mother-daughter journaling and her eBook, Who Are You? How to Use Journaling to Know and Grow Your Life.

As part of her new Wow! (Women on Writing) tour, she’s back with another intriguing guest post about things you should consider before you decide to partner on writing a journal with someone, and some thoughts about who may want to pair up to keep a journal.

McCarthy also has a new eBook just out called Dark Chocolate and the Journaler’s Soul: 17 Personal Journaling Stories for Healing and Growth, in which some of Mari’s friends and associates share their own stories about keeping a journal. You can win a copy of Dark Chocolate by leaving a comment here before midnight (PST) on Friday, December 23.

Journaling: Purely Personal, or for Sharing?

There are many different attitudes towards the question of privacy when it comes to journaling.

• Do you journal strictly for yourself, and fiercely defend the privacy of your notebooks?
• Do you journal privately but hope that your survivors will read your words after you’re gone?
• Do you use your journal as a place to give your writing a workout, later using bits in a book or other publication?
• Do you journal dispassionately, with no real concern for who may or may not read it?
• Do you journal as a way to communicate with a partner, friend, or successor?

Though we think of a journal as a personal tool, we need not think of it as exclusively private. But before embracing the joy of journaling out of the closet, let’s take a moment to remember that private journaling remains of utmost importance. The aspect of journaling that is expression without censure or repercussions or exposure on any level must forever be respected. A journal may become semi- or fully-public only if its author freely allows it.

That being said, many a journal may be created in the spirit of sharing. In this case, it will written by

• an individual who expressly intends it to be read by others, or
• two or more individuals, each contributing entries to one notebook.

In the latter case, the journal is the result of a compact between two or more parties for fun or profit or both.

It has to be a compact, a contract, a shared promise between people who have confidence in one another. Shared journaling isn’t for superficial situations. Intensity, commitment, persistence are all crucial. Trust is paramount.

As noted in my earlier post here, mothers and daughters can make dynamic journaling partners. Others who may put shared journaling to mutual benefit might be:

• Emergency team members
• Travel tour groups
• Recovery groups
• Mentor relationships
• Journaling as a classroom or project requirement
• New parents, sharing a journal for the first year of their child’s life
• Caretakers of any kind

And, of course, untold more possible groupings. If the compact is backed by sufficient trust, shared journals can be transformative. Our personal stories harbor enormous potential for teaching and learning, while providing welcome comfort in their humble familiarity.

The shared journal is shorthand for exploration and learning.

Again, don’t expect that the process of building a shared journal will be without challenges. Sustained effort will be required, despite setbacks. Commit to your partner(s) but even more, commit to yourself that you’ll complete the agreed-upon course. It’s by staying the course that you can accurately judge its effects.

Which leads me to my last tip: make the course relatively brief, to begin with. Agree to share the journal for a short time. When the time’s up, you can continue, increase, decrease, quit, whatever. Let the harmony build naturally. Enlarge your challenges in small bites, and let it all be a pleasure.

What are some relationships or involvements you suggest as having good potential for shared journaling? Please comment!

Mari L. McCarthy, journaling therapy specialist and author, owns Create Write Now, a website dedicated to all things journaling. The site includes hundreds of journaling prompts, personal journaling stories, interviews, a blog, and many other resources. Mari has published nine books to date; her most recent ebook is Help for the Holidays: 7 Days of Journaling to Ho! Ho! Ho!