MMGM: Bjorn's Gift and Interview with Sandy Brehl

When Sandy Brehl contacted me about receiving an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of BJORN'S GIFT, I said, "Yes, please!" I adored ODIN'S PROMISE, the first book in the series, which I reviewed here. I was excited to read more of Mari's experiences during the Nazi occupation of Norway--and a third book is in the works!

Here's the synopsis (from Amazon):  

BJORN'S GIFT is a sequel to ODIN'S PROMISE, winner of the 2014 Midwest Book Award for Children's Fiction. Set in Norway during World War II, BJORN'S GIFT continues the exciting adventures of Mari, the young Norwegian girl who faces growing hardships and dangers in her small village in a western fjord. German occupation troops and local Nazi supporters move closer to her family's daily life, and her classmate Leif becomes active in the Norwegian Nazi youth party. Mari struggles to live up to her brother Bjorn's faith in her, as she becomes more involved in risky resistance activities, trusting only her family and a few close friends. Across Norway, oppressive laws are imposed in the months from late 1941 to early 1943, with dire local consequences. Still, difficult decisions force Mari to admit that many things in life are not easily sorted into good or bad, and she begins to wonder if Hitler will ever be defeated and whether the occupation of Norway will ever end. 

The things I loved about BJORN'S GIFT are many of the same things I loved about ODIN'S PROMISE: a strong character, who's shy, just like I was as a child; a supportive, loving family; and a dangerous historical period that's handled in a way that even sensitive readers can enjoy. But to add to that list, here's a few things I loved in particular about the sequel:

1. An antagonistic character that keeps you guessing: Even by the end of the book I wasn't sure if Leif was good or bad or somewhere in between. Read on for Sandy's take on how she created this interesting character.

2. A tween girl who still loves her family but is not boy-crazy: I loved that Mari at thirteen is still close to her parents, loyal to her friends (both boys and girls), and full of depth. She grows a lot in this novel as she faces dangers foreign to most modern readers. This makes her seem more mature as she has to make adult decisions but she still remains refreshingly childlike in other ways.

3. Pacing: If anything the pacing was faster in this novel than the first because the stakes are higher with increasing crackdowns on Norwegian traditions and language. Still, the tension never felt forced, but always grew organically from the characters.

Now onto the interview!

Hi, Sandy, and welcome to my blog. I so enjoyed Bjorn's Gift and am so excited to have you here today.

Hi, Jenni, it’s great to be a guest on your blog. Thanks so much for your review and for asking such interesting questions.

1.   I like how Mari is a shy character, something we don’t see a lot of in kidlit. But one of the difficulties in creating quieter characters is that they don’t make things happen as much as more outgoing characters. How did you develop a character that is shy while also giving her enough agency to drive the story?

In the original book, Mari’s safe, predictable life changed overnight. Until then, her intelligence and her powerful emotions found outlets through reading, a safe step back from the real world.
 

In the course of that first year Mari struggled to redefine her place within a dangerous world. On top of that, she realized that people she loved and trusted most, her family, were deeper than the two-dimensional, predictable people she had always known. Perhaps it was recognizing the complexity of their lives that let her confront her own anger, fear, and stubbornness, uncomfortable emotions that put her at risk but also propelled her beyond her patterns of dependence and avoidance. 

The bottom line is, I work at listening carefully to how Mari is feeling, to what she needs, and to how she can best tell her own story about surviving in such challenging times.

2.  I also liked how you kept the reader guessing as to Mari's schoolmate Leif’s true motives and whether Mari’s perceptions of him were true or imbalanced. His ambiguous nature reminded me a bit of Snape from Harry Potter. Can you speak about developing a character that might be good or bad?
        

Wow, that’s a compliment of the highest order, to have created a character that reminds you of J. K. Rowling’s Snape in some way. Tusen takk! (A thousand thanks!)
    

Bjorn’s Gift encompasses Mari’s critical early adolescent years. She’s forced to move past her rigid sense of right and wrong, good and bad, to a more realistic but painful recognition that NO ONE is all good or all bad, always right or always wrong. That happens to young people in every circumstance during the transition from childhood simplicity to adult realities, but in her life it was an unavoidable issue. 

Because I know Leif’s full story (which will be revealed in the final book) I could step back a bit and imagine his feelings and motivations while keeping Mari in turmoil about the changes she witnessed. Research provided helpful examples of citizens whose choices alienated them from their friends, neighbors, and even family members. Choices they made based on a variety of motivations.
 

It was actually more challenging to create scenes in which Mari had to acknowledge that even adults dearest to her heart were making choices that didn’t fit her world-view. Then she had to consider: are they flawed, or should she adjust her expectations? If so, would that compromise her core values?

3.  One of the things I loved about both Odin’s Promise and Bjorn’s Gift 
was the historical details. What was the most interesting thing you learned in your research? Was there any tidbit that you left out?
 

It’s wonderful to hear that you connected with the history underlying this trilogy! I’m not Norwegian, but I heard fascinating stories of the occupation and resistance while visiting in Ytre Arna with people who lived through those times. Their detailed memories revealed a history about which I knew nothing. 

Sandy Brehl

Since that inspiration many years ago I’ve read stacks of books and spoken with many people with powerful stories. “Most interesting” is a challenging answer, but I’d have to say the full story of the treatment of Norway’s small Jewish population came as a complete surprise. I barely brushed the surface in this book, but felt it was crucial to include some key events in that era. There are countless details on that topic and many others that won’t make it into the pages of this trilogy. Some were modified or omitted to support the story arc, timing, tension, and suitability for the target age. 

I’m preparing website additions to help clarify which story elements come from research or personal accounts and which are entirely fictional. I’ll post some “side stories” from research and even some scenes “from the cutting room floor” that aren’t in this book or the next. I welcome questions from readers, too. Readers can subscribe to my quarterly newsletter and to news updates on my website.

Thanks, Jenni, for your interest in my books, in my writing experiences, and for your always valuable posts for all of us who love kidlit.
 

 If you'd like to hear more from Sandy or read other reviews of Bjorn's Gift, check out the other stops on her tour:

September 1 Interview with Todd Burleson at GROG blog:  http://groggorg.blogspot.com


September 7 Review: Stephanie Lowden at golowd, a blog about teaching and books  https://golowd.com


September 11 Guest post Unleashing Readers http://www.unleashingreaders.com


September 14 Review by Erik at This Kid Reviews Books, https://thiskidreviewsbooks.com


September 19 Review, Suzanne Warr, at Tales from the Raven, for MMGM: http://suzannewarr.com


September 20 Olivia and Oscar- review of ODIN’S PROMISE at Kid Book Reviewer: http://www.kidbookreviewer.com


September 27  Olivia and Oscar- review of BJORN’S GIFT at Kid Book Reviewer: http://www.kidbookreviewer.com (giveaway ends Sept. 30.)


September 29 Alex Baugh review at The Children’s War https://thechildrenswar.blogspot.com


October 3 Jenni Enzor  MMGM with review and interview http://jennienzor.blogspot.com


October 5   MomReadIt-  Review by Rosemary  
https://momreadit.wordpress.com


October 7 Trisha at Mindjacked    http://trishap00.blogspot.com


October 11  Guest post Rochelle Melander  http://writenowcoach.com/blog/

Photo credit: Photo of the author and book cover courtesy of Sandy Brehl.

To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog. 

 

MMGM: FRAMED (A T.O.A.S.T. Mystery)

 

I picked up this story because I have a soft spot for art history mysteries. Chalk it up to hours listening to my art history professor wax eloquent about Gothic arches. I certainly would've been an art history major--if my first love hadn't been writing. 

Framed  joins the likes of Chasing Vermeer, Eddie Red and The Museum Mile and UNDER THE EGG; it’s a rich art history mystery with fun characters and an intriguing plot line.

A book that will appeal to kids and grownups alike!

Synopsis (an excerpt from Amazon):

Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the on the first day of school, or which Chinese restaurant has the best eggrolls.

But when he teaches it to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery that isn’t little. In fact, it’s HUGE, and it involves the National Gallery, the FBI, and a notorious crime syndicate known as EEL.

Can Florian decipher the clues and finish his homework in time to help the FBI solve the case?

 What to like:

 1.  A smart, quirky kid as the main character. Of course, it’s every kid’s fantasy to actually work for the FBI! Florian isn’t your typical kid. He’d lived most of his life in Europe and has a Holmes-like eye for noticing seemingly insignificant details.

2.  A great boy/girl friendship. While I tend to think boy/girl friendships don’t always seem realistic in MG, this one really worked. Margaret’s sensible nature was an excellent foil to Florian’s quick mind. Their dialogue was always snappy and fun.

3.  Two intact families.  I thought it was great that both Florian and Margaret’s families were intact, supportive and loving—and it was nice seeing grownups respecting the kids and their ideas.

4.  Insider details about FBI training and art museums and art theft detection. Part of the fun of reading books like this is learning about what goes on at FBI training or what being undercover really entails. I loved how Florian’s trainer was petite but tough!

5. An open ending. I cheered for the open ending on this mystery--which means they’ll be more adventures with Florian and Margaret!

14-year-old boy's take: "This is hard to put down!"

If you loved mysteries about art history or anything about the FBI (think Spy Mice by Heather Vogel Frederick but without animals), you need to check out Framed. I’m always excited to find more smartly written, intriguing mysteries like this!

And if you do pick it up, I dare you to try not to see the significance of small things!



Have you read any good mysteries lately? 


To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog. 

MMGM: Audacity Jones to the Rescue

I picked this up because Kirby Larson is one of my favorite authors—and I know her historical fiction will never disappoint. A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to attend a workshop on voice she led at my local SCBWI conference. How appropriate that should be teaching a class in voice, a skill she excels in, especially in AUDACITY JONES.


Prepare to be inspired by a very talented writer if you pick up this book!

The synopsis (from Amazon):

Audacity Jones is an eleven-year-old orphan who aches for adventure, a challenge to break up the monotony of her life at Miss Maisie's School for Wayward Girls. Life as a wayward girl isn't so bad; Audie has the best of friends, a clever cat companion, and plenty of books to read. Still, she longs for some excitement, like the characters in the novels she so loves encounter.

So when the mysterious Commodore Crutchfield visits the school and whisks Audie off to Washington, DC, she knows she's in for the journey of a lifetime. But soon, it becomes clear that the Commodore has unsavory plans for Audie -- plans that involve the president of the United States and a sinister kidnapping plot. Before she knows it, Audie winds up in the White House kitchens, where she's determined to stop the Commodore dead in his tracks. Can Audie save the day before it's too late?

What to love about Audacity:

1.  Language: There is so much to love not only in the voice in this book, but in Larson’s fun word play. For example (about President Taft): “To meet with such largeness!...Beatrice was not referring to the nation’s twenty-seventh president’s girth—which was astounding, that could not be denied—but his political stature.”

2.  Multiple point of view—that works: I tend to prefer a single point of view so that I can get into a character, but not when multiple point of view is handled like this. Since this is a mystery, dipping into other people’s heads gave the reader an insider’s view that Audacity doesn’t have, which upped the suspense. Also, every character’s voice and thoughts were distinct in each point of view and seamlessly transitioned. Plus the omniscient narrator often had funny commentary on the events of the story—which gave the story an old-fashioned feel, like it was written at the time of the setting.

3.  A setting close to my heart: I am in love with pre-World War I settings—chalk it up to wondering what life was like for my great grandmother,  who was born in 1900. It was fun reading about Taft—a president who never gets as much airtime as Teddy Roosevelt. In this book, he's trying to live under Teddy's huge shadow. Tons of fun!

4.  Well-drawn characters: Not only is Audacity interesting because of her “longing” for something different in life and her naiveté at times, but her friends at the Home for Wayward Girls, Miss Maisie, Juice the newsboy, and even the antagonists are well-rounded with detailed histories and back stories.

5.  Heart, warmth, and humor: As you may see from the quote, this book is filled with heart, warmth and humor. I loved how the kids save the day by working together and the theme of friendship that runs throughout. 

My only caveat with this book is that the time period was a little hard to determine until you were well into the book. The  cover doesn't reflect accurately reflect the time period, and there's no mention of which president she meets on the backflap, but these are minor things in light of a very good read. 

If you enjoy books with lyrical language and omniscient narrators, like INCORRIGIBLE CHILDREN OF ASHTON PLACE or Larson’s other books, especially THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL,  you will love Audacity Jones! And if you love Audacity, there is a sequel (featuring Houdini!) coming in 2017!

How can you resist a girl like this? Audacity: “And my mathematics are appalling. Here I am eleven and I can barely do calculus.”

Have you read any fun books lately? How do you feel about omniscient narrators?

(This post contains an Amazon affiliate link, only because it's easier for me to post book covers that way. Thank you for your support!)

To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog. 

MMGM: The Potato Chip Puzzle and The Puzzler’s Mansion

I first discovered THE PUZZLING WORLD OF WINSTON BREEN a few years ago, doing research for a middle grade mystery I was writing at the time. This summer, I suggested it to my older son, who loves chess and math and word play. He loved it and discovered there were more! Of course, I had to finish reading  about Breen’s adventures.

What’s not to like about a kid whose passion is solving puzzles?

Here are the synopses (from Amazon):

 

THE POTATO CHIP PUZZLE:

When a local potato chip tycoon invites area kids to an all-day puzzle hunt, Winston Breen is psyched. But it turns out the day is not all fun and games. Their teacher is being overly competitive, the puzzles are hard (even for Winston), and someone in the contest is playing dirty in order to win the fifty-thousand-dollar grand prize! Trying to stop the mystery cheater before it's too late takes an already tough challenge to a whole new level. . . .

 

 PUZZLER’S MANSION:

Winston Breen and his friends Mal and Jake accompany Mr. Penrose for a weekend of puzzles and games at the mansion of a famous musician. Over the course of the weekend, some guests’ prizes and belongings inexplicably disappear. As the group continues with the elaborate puzzles—which the reader is invited to solve too—some of the guests try to figure out who is stealing things, and others become suspects. But in the end it’s Winston who stumbles upon several clues, and eventually discovers the real culprit. A fast-paced whodunit, this latest Winston Breen installment will have readers hooked!
What’s fun about Winston Breen:

1. Puzzles! I love how the reader gets to solve the puzzles right along with Winston. The puzzles that have to do with the main plot are solved in the text, but Winston is often doing other puzzles, which are inserted in the text with answers in the back. My son was bent over a piece of paper solving them all while he read.

2. Eccentric adults: Part of the fun of both these books is how an eccentric adult sets up puzzles for other characters to solve. I thought the potato chip tycoon and the famous pianist were some of the most interesting characters—especially the pianist in Puzzler’s Mansion.

3. Realistic middle school friendships: I liked how Winston and his best friends have each other’s backs. Boy-girl friendships are more common in kidlit (not so common in real life, I think) for this age, so I found that Winston's dude friends very realistic. His crushing on a beautiful older woman and a pretty girl his age also fit his age. 

4. Interesting, climatic endings: Both books had memorable climaxes, from riding lawnmowers and secret passages to a race against the clock to stop bad guys at a picnic. I was on the edge of my seat!

5. Inspiring themes: I loved the themes of honesty and loyalty in POTATO CHIP PUZZLER and the theme of finding a balance between real life and your passion as a creative person in PUZZLER’S MANSION. As Richard, the pianist and owner of the mansion, says: "Whatever your passion is--even if you're great at it--it can't be the only thing you do."

These books reminded me a lot of MR. LEMONCELLO'S LIBRARY They would appeal to kids who love puzzles—and not just math puzzles, but word puzzles as well—and kids who like puzzle mysteries like THE WESTING GAME.

Have you read any good puzzle mysteries lately? Do you do puzzles? (If you haven't already guessed, I'm a word puzzle girl.)


To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog. 

ISWG: Not Waiting for Lightning

Finding time to write. That is the question.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot—and not just because it’s the ISWG’s question of the month. As summer draws to a close, I know my life will get extremely busy soon. And there’s always the question of how am I going to squeeze in writing?

Often I think of my writing life in terms of Before and After. Before I took a class on writing a novel, I had one way of writing: the struck by lightning method. If an idea hit me over the head or I was inspired, I wrote. If it didn’t, I didn’t. I didn’t write every day. I didn’t usually revise my work. Stories often came to me fully formed. But I never got beyond chapter three of any novel I started.

Getting inspired--Before

 After that class, I took my writing more seriously, or maybe I should say, I took myself more seriously. I finally thought I could do this writer thing. Although I still sometimes write in fits and starts—I started doing something revolutionary to me at the time: I write even when I didn’t feel like it. 

After

And that made a huge difference.

Fast forward to now. I still struggle with finding time to write. Ideally, I write best during the day, but that’s not usually when I can write. I write at night when the house is quiet—and it’s rare that I have more than an hour altogether, so I’ve learned to do what I can with what I have. Even if I only have fifteen minutes—that’s something.

I don’t have a set word count, but if I’m drafting, I try to write one scene or if I’m editing, revise one scene or chapter. But I also count other things as my writing time. In my book (excuse the pun), research counts, even though I’m always anxious to get back to stringing words together.

I’ve also learned a lot from EAT THAT FROG (Brian Tracy). I try as much as possible to do the hard things first. I don’t watch a lot of TV. I keep my schedule simple, because if I’m running this way and that, I cannot write.

It’s hard writing at night. I’m often tired after a long day and just want to curl up and watch Netflix. Pulling out the computer, switching gears to open my document is like swimming against the tide.

But I’m always glad I did.

The strange thing about writing when you don’t feel like it is that only the first five minutes are hard. I usually have to bargain with myself. Just open the document and look at it. Just read what you wrote yesterday. Just revise that one paragraph. But I never stop at that. And when I’m through, I’m happy. Happier than I would’ve been if I had done nothing, waiting for lightning to strike. 

How do you find time to write in your busy day?

What is Insecure Writer's Support Group?

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time - and return comments. This group is all about connecting.

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG 

The awesome co-hosts for the September 7 posting of the IWSG will be C. Lee McKenzie, Rachel Pattison, Elizabeth Seckman, Stephanie Faris, Lori L MacLaughlin, and Elsie Amata! 

photo credit: 505 Blink of an Eye via photopin (license)