Emily Out of Focus: A Review and ARC Giveaway

I've reviewed two other middle grade books by Miriam Spitzer Franklin on this blog (Extraordinary and Call Me Sunflower) but Emily Out of Focus is special to me. Miriam and I were in a SCBWI critique group together for many years and I heard about her trip to China in 2006 to adopt their daughter. Emily Out of Focus (Sky Pony Press, 2019) draws from her family's experience in China. I am delighted to share this well-titled book with you.

REVIEW

From the opening pages of the book the reader gets a glimpse into what Emily wants:

-- to be a photojournalist like her grandmother,

and what she fears:

--not liking or being liked by her new little sister Mei Lin,

and what she wonders:

--why did her parents need another child and why wasn't she enough?

In order to follow her grandmother's career as a photojournalist, Emily decides to, 

a) bring along her grandmother's camera to China without her parents' permission so that,

b) she can take pictures and win a scholarship to the best photojournalism camp in the country. 

These threads weave throughout the book and--you guessed it--get her into trouble. 

Right off the plane, she meets a Chinese girl named Katherine who was adopted as a baby. Katherine's family are a part of Emily's group and have come to China to adopt another child. Although Emily has her doubts about Katherine, the two end up bonding over Katherine's secret: she plans to contact her birth mother while in China and needs Emily's help. 

Emily's days are filled with boring meetings over finalizing Mei Lin's adoption, secret adventures with Katherine, and learning to love and be loved by Mei Lin. 

Half-way through the book Mei Lin gets sick and Emily begins to realize how much she cares for her little sister. Another crucial scene is when the group visits Mei Lin's orphanage. Suddenly, Emily begins to see what it was like for Mei Lin and Katherine to be abandoned as babies. When the girls visit the park where Katherine's mother left her (a common practice), Emily watches her friend.

She sunk on the ground, running her hand over the grass, "This is where she left me," she said quietly. 

I just stood there, not knowing what to say. I reached for Nana's camera, but I froze as I looked at Katherine through the lens, the way she was staring down at the grass, a look in her eyes I'd never seen before. Despair. Overwhelming sadness,. Loss. Her eyes were filled with a kind of pain I would never know, the kind that comes from realizing your mother--the person who was supposed to love you and keep you safe--had abandoned you in the exact spot where you were standing.

I put my camera down. (pp. 153-54)

Emily Out of Focus is a realistic portrayal of a 12-year-old girl's coming to grips with a new adopted sibling. Combining Mei Lin's story with Katherine's brings a richness to the novel and will open middle grade reader's eyes to a world they might never have known.  

GIVEAWAY

I am giving away my ARC to one fortunate reader. Leave me a comment by 9 AM on May 30 and Random.org will pick a winner. If you share this on social media or become a new follower of my blog, I'll give you two chances! Please tell me what you do and provide your email address if I don't already have it. 

Call Me Sunflower: A Review and ARC Giveaway

Congratulations to Sandra Warren who won the audio CD of WISH last week. Thanks to everyone who entered.

I seem to be on a roll with middle grade books featuring a girl protagonist who had to leave her home and wants to return. This week I am introducing CALL ME SUNFLOWER, Miriam Spitzer Franklin's second middle grade novel that comes out next month (SkyPony Press, 2017). 

Like Charlie Reese in WISH who doesn't like her name Charlemagne, Sunny Beringer hates being called Sunflower. Both girls have difficulty coming into new schools and both identify with stray animals who they rescue. Both books include an older grandparent-type figure who factor into the girls' adjustments to their new homes. Similar set-ups and conclusions book end the two novels, but the plots are quite different. 

Twelve-year-old Sunny has just moved to North Carolina from New Jersey with her mother and younger sister, Autumn, leaving behind Scott, a beloved father figure. Sunny's internal struggles are identified early on,

The whole move thing didn't make any sense to me. Mom had told me she needed a change--a break from her job--and the only way she could afford it was if we moved in with my rich grandmother in North Carolina. But Scott could have moved in with us in New Jersey instead of living in his own condo if we needed to cut down on expenses. 

When I suggested that to Mom, she just repeated that it was time for a change. 

If it were up to Mom, we could stay in North Carolina forever, and I'd barely get to see my dad at all. That's why it was so important to come up with the perfect plan, and soon. (pp. 5-6)

With that, the reader is introduced to the main plot: how is Sunny going to get her mother (who adopted her and Autumn as a single parent) and Scott back together. 

At the same time that Sunny navigates being part of a Odyssey of the Mind team, missing her best friend and forming new friendships, plus figuring out how to respond to her proper grandmother who owns a fur store, she concocts one plan after another to help the people she identifies as her parents fall in love again. In the process of making a photo album for her mother's birthday, Sunny discovers a photo that uncovers a secret and opens her eyes to the true relationship between Scott and her mother. 

An important sub-plot is Sunny's conflicts with her grandmother and her dislike for her store. When Sunny decides to join an animal rights group's "Fur-Free Friday" protest she starts down a path of secrets and lies. Her decisions lead to consequences spinning out of control until even her new friend Lydia, sees through her lies. 

I sank down into an empty chair, dropping my head on my arms. There were mess-ups and there were mess-ups. This was the kind that just kept getting worse and worse. It was like the time I was mowing the grass and a rock hit the window. At first it was a little hole. Then I heard a crackling noise and lines started shooting down from the hole and, before I knew it, the glass shattered and the window fell into a million pieces.  

Except this time, it felt like I was the one cracking. (p. 226)

Like Charlie in WISH, at the end of SUNFLOWER, Sunny realizes that her definition of family can be different than what she had grown up believing. After her grandmother takes Sunny's stray cat to the vet, the two of them talk.

"It gets pretty cold out there at night," Grandma Grace said. "She'll need to stay in the house, at least while she's recovering." 

"Does that mean we can keep her?" Autumn asked. 

I held my breath.

"Of course," Grandma Grace said. "Believe it or not, I happen to like cats."

I felt my eyes opening wide. "Really?" 

"Don't be so surprised," Grandma Grace said with a wink. "Besides, we're already paying the vet bills so this cat is officially yours to keep."

"Thanks so much, Grandma Grace. I can't wait to bring her home." 

I threw my arms around her and felt her arms encircling me, hugging me back. (p. 258)

********

To win my ARC, please leave me a comment by Saturday, April 29. If you are new to my blog make sure you leave your email address. If you share this on social media I'll enter your name in twice. 

Extraordinary: A Review and an ARC Giveaway!

In some ways books are like babies: conceiving them and bringing them into the world requires a lot of effort. The mother (writer) does most of the work, but there’s usually a team that assists with the delivery.

As the critique coordinator for the SCBWI Carolinas Charlotte group for over twenty years, I had the privilege of helping several fellow writers "deliver" their books. Whenever they did, I’ve been as proud as an aunt and enjoy celebrating the arrival of their “babies.”

You heard about Linda Phillips’ book Crazy last fall and now it’s Miriam Franklin’s turn. Both authors brought their books through one laborious draft after another until their stories emerged- beautifully formed and ready for a world of readers.

Over ten years I read several drafts of Miriam’s debut novel Extraordinary (Sky Pony Press, May 2015). In each one the kernel was the same: Ten-year-old Pansy's best friend, Anna, develops meningitis after a spring break camp. Pansy decides that if she becomes extraordinary, Anna will forgive her for all the promises she didn't keep. “Extraordinary” Pansy also wants to be the first person Anna sees after her brain surgery that hopefully will reduce her seizures.

Pansy’s wishful thinking—that she and Anna will return to the days of swimming at the beach, playing LEGOs with Anna’s twin brother Andy, and being Girl Scouts together—is not uncommon for children and adults when facing tragedy.  

Pansy hasn’t forgiven herself since she backed out of her promise to Anna to attend camp over spring break. Pansy got scared, the two girls fought, and Anna slammed the door behind Pansy. The next time she saw Anna, her friend was in a hospital bed. "Anna couldn't talk, she couldn't understand what people were saying, and she didn't act like she knew me at all." (p.3) 

While going for a hike with Andy, she thinks about how his family had to stay home with Anna. "You couldn't push a wheelchair on a trail in the mountains." (p. 86)

Pansy doesn't want to admit her fears:

In the spring they'll come with us. I wanted to say. And Anna will win Poohsticks, like always, and she'll be the first one down the steps to the falls. But I kept my words inside. Maybe I was afraid to say them out loud, afraid they would just disappear as soon as they were out of my mouth--as if by telling someone else how I get, I might keep my hopes from coming true. (p. 86)

The book is full of Pansy's efforts to become extraordinary in order to be the type of friend Anna deserves. Some of her actions have funny, unexpected consequences. For example, she attempts to improve her Rollerblading skills but ends up being pulled by two huge dogs around a park. But her drive to redeem herself for her failures and be an extraordinary friend propels her forward.

Before Anna's brain surgery Pansy reflects,

No matter how worried or nervous I was, Anna always believed in me. And I knew she still did. I would never have put on skates, gone to the top of the list for Independent Reader, or joined Girl Scouts if it weren't for Anna. But now, it was my turn to be there for her. To believe that she as going to pull through this surgery, that she was going to come out of it stronger than ever before. That she was going to be Anna again and that she would be so proud of me for all I'd done. So I blocked out all those questions and concentrated on one thing: in less than two weeks, I'd be sure to have my best friend back. (p. 151)

Pansy can't wait to see Anna after her surgery. She's heard that it was successful and she goes to the hospital armed with high hopes, a balloon, and a box of Oreos--Anna's favorite. Pansy is stunned at her friend's appearance and behavior:

She just lay there, her head drooping down, her eyes poking lifeless. She didn't seem to care if I was there or not. (p.196)

When Anna drops her hand on the package of cookies, her family is ecstatic because she's finally using her right hand. But for Pansy, all is lost.

I'd imagined it all--Anna understanding my words when I told her about my goals, Anna looking at my badge and getting that I'd earned it for her. Now I knew that Anna hadn't understood that I was doing any of those things for her.

All my dreams about Anna's recovery instantly evaporated into the air. They were just dreams. That's all they were. (p.198)

Pansy wrestles with the hard facts of Anna's illness and discovers that by following Anna's brave example she can conquer some of her own fears. In that way, Pansy finds her own path to extraordinary. 

*********

Miriam Franklin has captured a difficult topic for young readers to understand: how do you respond when your best friend suffers a serious illness. I hope you will consider pre-ordering this well-written book for yourself, or for a young reader in your life. This will be a perfect book for families who have experienced similar tragedies and will speak to adults as well as children. As Angela Ackerman said in a recent blog, this book is very relatable. 

Leave me a comment by 7 PM on April 8 if you would like to receive my gently used copy of this ARC. If I don't have your email address, please make sure you leave that also. If you become a new follower of my blog or post this to your social media of choice, I'll enter your name twice--just make sure you let me know what you do. 

You Heard it Here First- Introducing Miriam Franklin

Congratulations to Deanna Klingel who won Christy Allen's book, Samantha Green and the Case of the Haunted Pumpkin. 

**************

As my faithful blog followers know, I enjoy giving away books, recommending well-written books, and sharing updates on my own WIP Half-Truths.

But my favorite post is when I announce an author landing an agent or a book deal. This post inaugurates a new series I am creating: "You Heard it Here First." I look forward to adding posts as I share more authors' news in the future.

Miriam is an elementary/middle school teacher currently working with homeschool students. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Charlotte, NC. 

I am very excited to introduce you to Miriam Spitzer Franklin, a hard-working writer who was one of the original members of the SCBWI Charlotte critique group. I have watched from the sidelines as Miriam has persevered and didn't give up on a story that she believed in--and that I loved! I'm pleased to announce that EXTRAORDINARY, her debut middle grade novel, will be published by Skypony Press in Spring 2015. 

Take it away, Miriam!

Carol: Tell us about your book. What prompted you to write it? 

Miriam: EXTRAORDINARY is about ten-year-old Pansy Smith who vows to become an extraordinary person after she learns her best friend Anna, who hasn’t been the same since a brain injury at summer camp, may soon be cured. Because the girls’ last words to each other were angry ones, Pansy wants to make it up to Anna by becoming the kind of best friend that Anna deserves. Although the subject matter is heavy, much of the book is humorous as Pansy formulates an elaborate plan to reach her goals, persevering in the face of many challenges.

I started with Pansy’s character, a girl who seems mostly average in every way and wants to become an extraordinary person. I knew that friendship would play an important role, and I was inspired to write Anna’s character because of my niece, who had meningitis at age two and suffered a stroke and permanent brain damage. At first, Anna’s brain damage took place five years before the story started because I thought it would be too sad otherwise. But eventually I realized if I wanted the story to work, Pansy’s emotions needed to be a large part of it. In my last revision, Anna gets sick a few months before the story begins.

Carol: I personally know you have had a long journey towards publication. Can you share how many years you spent writing and revising it?

Miriam: This manuscript has been through so many revisions and rewrites I’ve lost count! The first version ended up in a drawer for years while I worked on other projects. Many of my original readers said it felt like two separate stories--one about Anna and one about Pansy--that weren't connected. One day when I wasn’t even thinking about it, the solution came to me out of nowhere and I knew exactly what I needed to do. 

Originally, Pansy’s motivation for becoming extraordinary wasn’t clear. In order to link the two storylines, I changed it so that Pansy wants to become extraordinary BECAUSE her friend is going to have surgery and she wants to prove she’s the kind of friend Anna deserves. In my rewrite, the story lines become linked together on the first page when the reader finds out what Pansy’s motivation is for the change.

I revised again before signing with my agent, after the first round of subs, for a revision request for an editor, and one last time before subbing my final round.

Carol: How did you find your agent?

Miriam: Finding an agent was the only thing quick in this process for me, and different from books I’d subbed in the past. This time I posted a query letter on the Blue Boards (now SCBWI boards) for feedback, and received a request from my agent before I’d even sent out any queries. She requested the full within a week, a revision request two weeks after that, and I received the call a week after that.

Carol: What role your agent took in getting this publisher?

Miriam: I’m the one who suggested subbing to SkyPony Press. I saw that they were interested in books with special needs themes. It took them a long time to read the manuscript, though the editor, Julie Matysik, kept checking in and saying she was still interested and would get to it soon. Eight months after my agent sent the book out, Julie responded with an enthusiastic “I love this book!” and an offer.

Carol: What have you been asked to do for marketing?

Miriam: My editor has sent an author’s guide with marketing suggestions. I’m starting by setting up an author’s website; I’ve also been strongly urged to set up an author’s FaceBook page or a Twitter account. I’m interested in setting up school visits once the book is published since I’m a former teacher and more comfortable talking to groups of kids than groups of adults! But it seems most of this can wait until the cover is designed and the catalog goes out in the fall.

Carol: What's next? 

Miriam: I have two other completed middle grade manuscripts as well as a younger middle grade, still in progress. Although I’m focusing on my debut right now, I’m hoping my editor will take a look at one of my other manuscripts when we’re finished with revisions. 

 

Congratulations to Miriam who persevered, wrote, and rewrote. I can't wait to see this book in print!