Read, Write, Repeat.

Today is a very special day for middle-grade literature enthusiasts and tea lovers everywhere. Laura Schaefer has a new book out.

The Secret Ingredient (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, 2011) is a follow-up to Schaefer’s first novel, The Teashop Girls. It chronicles what happens to Annie and her friends, Genna and Zoe, the summer before they all start high school.

As in the first book, much of the action takes place in Annie’s grandmother’s tea shop, The Steeping Leaf. When Annie’s not serving tea, she’s blogging about food, baking scones in hopes of winning a contest and trying to decide if kissing a boy in the tea shop’s stockroom meant anything.

Read, Write, Repeat is honored to have author Laura Schaefer on hand to answer important questions about the book, her writing process and life in Madison, Wisconsin where she, I and the book’s characters all live.

This book is about blogging, tea and scones. Of the three, which is your favorite? Why?

Of the three, I have the most knowledge and experience with tea. I’ve tried lots of different varieties. I’m currently drinking a lot of Pu-erh, which is a type of earthy tea from China. When I started writing The Secret Ingredient, I was a scone newbie. (Although I had eaten lots of them, I’d never baked them.) That changed in a hurry. Many a Saturday I spent in my kitchen working on new recipes for the book. I’m proud of how they turned out, and I think my friends enjoyed all the samples.

How much of Annie is inspired by you?

Quite a bit. She’s more gregarious than I was at 14, but I think we have a lot of qualities in common. She’s very loyal to her friends and family, she’s got that entrepreneurial streak, and boys confuse her. I could say all the same things about myself.

Annie hopes to win a trip to London by coming up with a wonderful scone recipe. What’s your favorite scone recipe? Have you ever been to London?

My favorite recipe at the moment is the apple toffee scones I invented for the book. But other than that, I can’t get enough of the lemon cream scones from Lazy Jane’s cafe on Willy Street in Madison. I honestly don’t know what they put in them, but I’d like to find out. They are gooooooood.

Yes, I went to London about nine years ago, after I graduated from college. I loved it. The city has such a rich culture and history. I adore the fact that the museums there are free. I really want to go back.

Annie has ambivalent feelings about Zach, but she does kiss him. What was your first kiss like?

Haha, I’ll never tell!

What kind of research did you need to do while you wrote this book? What was the most interesting thing you learned?

The research happened very naturally, and was driven by my own interests in tea and food. I tried a lot of new and interesting teas after The Teashop Girls came out at the end of 2008, and I found it very easy to weave references to them into the new book. One example of this is matcha, a powdered green tea that I adore. Cha Cha Tea here in Madison introduced me to it.

I had some things to learn about the local food movement and people’s efforts to get healthy local foods into school lunches. I spoke to the organization REAP to get some perspective on the challenges involved in getting local produce into schools. They do amazing work, and I’m grateful to them for helping me out.

I also turned to my long-time best friend Aimee Tritt, who is currently at work on a master’s degree in dietetics. She is a foodie through and through and really knows her stuff. She helped me to make sure all the produce I referenced in the story is actually in season during the timeline of the book.

The book is set in Madison, Wisconsin where you (and I) live. What favorite Madison landmarks were you able to include in the book?

I love writing about Madison. The book opens with Annie at the Farmer’s Market on the Capitol Square. I also reference Lake Monona, State Street and Vilas Park. There’s no place like Madison in the summertime. Our city shines right now.

Much of the action in both your books is set in Annie’s grandmother’s tea shop. Have you ever thought about opening a tea shop of your own? Is the shop inspired by an actual tea shop?

I haven’t really considered opening a tea shop of my own, because I’m too busy with my writing. But I love, love, love hanging out in them (and in coffee shops). The shop in the story is a mish-mash of lots of places I like to hang out, from Barriques here in Madison, to this place in Florida called Sherlock’s (now closed … boo!), to the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn, New York.

My daughter is starting high school this fall. What advice would Annie, Genna and Zoe have for her?

Great question! All three girls would probably have different advice. Annie’s would be something funny or friendly like, “Don’t forget hair products,” (she always struggles with her frizzy red curls) and, “Stick close to your best friends.” Genna would say, “Try out for a play … drama club is FABULOUS.” Zoe, ever the practical one, would say, “Don’t get behind on your homework and ignore Genna when she insists on finding you a boyfriend.”

What would I say? “Have fun, try different extra-curricular activities to find out what you love, and don’t take anyone too seriously!”

Is the book the end of the series? Or do you have more adventures planned for the girls?

I think there will be a TSG3 eventually, but I don’t have any immediate plans.

Several of your author biographies mention that you like to dance the lindy hop. Tell us more about that.

The lindy hop is a vintage swing dance invented in the 1920s. It’s really fun and athletic. I started learning in 2005 and I still try to go out a few times per month now. Some of my friends are truly awesome at it … they travel and compete. I’m a bit more of a spectator these days, but I love it. If you’re interested, we dance on Wednesday nights after 9:30 p.m. at the Brink Lounge, and you can find out about lessons at www.uwswing.com.

What other projects are you working on?

I’m working on a stand-alone novel for older readers called Notes to Self. I’m also in the midst of launching a line of non-fiction travel guides for kids aged 8-12 called Planet Explorers. These guides will be published in ebook form only, for kids to read on Kindles, Nooks or smart phones before they go on family vacations. I’m really excited about it. My first two titles are Chicago and Walt Disney World. Thank you for asking!

Thanks for stopping by, Laura!

If you’d like to know more about Laura, visit her website.

If you’d like to know more about illustrator Sujean Rim, visit her website.

And, finally, to read a teen review of Laura’s first novel, The Teashop Girls, check out this link.

I smiled and thought, “That’s my girl!”

Quinn Fabray had a somewhat traumatic second season on Glee.

Just when it seemed the popular cheerleader and Glee Club member had successfully bounced back from her first-season pregnancy and rebuilt her image as the most perfect girl at William McKinley High School, things got complicated.

In the span of a few episodes, Quinn began dating Sam (the cute new boy in school), kissed her first love Finn, decided to stay with Sam, got mono, was dumped by Sam and started dating Finn again. This led to her having words with Rachel about their respective futures. It seems Quinn plans to graduate from high school, marry Finn and become a real-estate agent while Rachel is destined for stardom far beyond Lima, Ohio.

Quinn also was determined to be prom queen.

Because then she’d be back on top of the school hierarchy and live — on average — five years longer than than her non-royal subjects. In her quest for the crown, everyone learned that svelte, smooth-skinned Quinn Fabray had once been overweight, acne-prone Lucy Fabray who had gone to great lengths to reinvent herself and hide her past.

If I were Quinn’s librarian, I would have taken her aside, suggested she spend a little time by herself, and handed her Beauty Queens (Scholastic Press, 2011) by Libba Bray.

Why? Because it’s a delightfully sarcastic and very readable story.

It describes what happens when a plane full of teenage beauty contestants crashes on a tiny island leaving the girls to fend for themselves. Armed with only their collective knowledge and an impressive array of cosmetics and evening wear, the one-time rivals build housing, develop a water-sanitization system and find ways to feed themselves. Oh, and they keep working on their pageant skills so they’re ready to compete once they’re rescued.

As the girls struggle to survive, they learn things about themselves and each other — especially how many of their own dreams and desires they’ve suppressed to improve their odds of winning the “Miss Teen Dream” title. (At this point, feel free to pause and mentally hum Glee’s version of “Teenage Dream.”)

One contestant is trying to live up to her mother’s thwarted hopes. Another is playing up her ethnicity to be more appealing to the judges. And another is trying to prove her worth to an absent mother. Then there’s the contestant hoping to expose the pageant as a demeaning way of repressing women, the contestant who’s transgendered and trying to prove a point, and the contestant who’s in love with one of her peers.

If this sounds heavy, it’s not.

Amid this list of issues, there are laugh-out-loud jokes about boy bands, feminine product commercials, Ivy League educations, pirates, vampires and politics. Questionnaires completed by the contestants before the plane crash tell more about each character and add to the fun. Footnotes abound throughout the book, and they are universally hilarious.

I’d especially suggest Quinn, who is portrayed by the lovely Dianna Agron, check out the commercial break on page 211 which features an ad for “Breast in Show,” a plastic-surgery company that claims, “There’s no part of you that can’t be improved … Because ‘You’re perfect just the way you are’ is what your guidance counselor says. And she’s an alcoholic.’ ”

I’d also point her to page 177 where the girls compare their time on the island to the book Lord of the Flies. Here’s what one says:

Maybe girls need an island to find themselves. Maybe they need a place where no one’s watching them so they can be who they really are … There was something about the island that made the girls forget who they had been. All those rules and shalt nots. They were no longer waiting for some arbitrary grade. They were no longer performing. Waiting. Hoping. They were becoming. They were.

Now there’s a concept.

Maybe, just maybe, this book would help Quinn realize her worth is determined by more than how she looks and that — if she truly wants to — she’s capable of leaving Lima, Ohio.

Whether or not she ever marries Finn or becomes prom queen.

Other things that make this a GLEE-ful read include:

The line on page 55 that says, “The earth beneath them gave way suddenly, and the girls were swept down the mountainside in a spiral of mud, sequins and screams.” (I couldn’t help but think this was an accurate description of this year’s William McKinley prom.)

The reference to defying gravity in the book’s last sentence. I don’t think Libba Bray was thinking of Glee or the musical “Wicked” when she wrote it, but it’s strangely appropriate nonetheless.

And finally, if you’d like to see which books I’ve recommended to other Glee characters, they are:

• Quinn Fabray – Beauty Queens by Libba Bray.
• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

There were lots of reasons I admired my aunt, Faye Clow, who died in February.

She was smart. Stylish. A world-traveler. An actress. An artist. And, a great gift-giver.

But, perhaps what I admired most about Faye was her love of books. As a kid who loved the library, I was so impressed that she actually worked in one every day. And, I remember visiting her and being astounded by the number of books in her home. (After she passed away, we counted. She had more than 1,500 books in her two-bedroom condo. Now, that’s my kind of person.)

In fact, two of my all-time favorites — Bridge to Terabithia and The Westing Game — were presents from her.

A lifelong love of libraries

Faye worked at the Moline, Illinois, library and then became director of the Bettendorf, Iowa, library. During her 30 years there, she expanded the library’s physical space, added new staff and upgraded its technology. She also served in numerous community leadership roles, including a term as president of the Bettendorf Rotary Club, president of Quad-City Arts and president of the board of public television station, WQPT.

She even hosted “About Books” on WVIK, 90.3 FM where she interviewed authors and shared her love of literature with an audience far beyond those who walked through the library doors.

An unexpected gift

After Faye’s death, I found something she wrote mixed in with her other papers. I don’t know why she wrote it, but I was very happy to have it, because it articulates why — in an age of computers, e-readers, gaming systems and social media — libraries still matter.

Faye’s ode to libraries

I believe in public libraries.

Yes, I believe in public libraries. They were a haven for me as a child. They are a free resource every day for countless people. They nurture reading. They are a fundamental ingredient of this democracy.

I couldn’t agree more.

So when my family was clearing out Faye’s condo, there was one item I especially wanted. I took it home and posted it by my computer.

It will never have much monetary value. But to me, it’s priceless.

In honor of Faye’s life, a 1.5-acre greenspace on the library’s Learning Campus will be named “Faye’s Field.” It will include rain gardens, native grasses and trees, a pavilion for concerts and programs, and grass berms for natural seating.

Once the space is finished, I plan to sit on one of the berms with a book and think of her.

And if you’re ever in Bettendorf, Iowa, I hope you’ll do the same.

Young readers first met Nellie Sue, and all her glittery glory, in Rebecca Janni’s debut picture book Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse. (Dutton Children’s Books, 2010).

The spunky cowgirl proved to be so popular that’s she’s back for another adventure in Every Cowgirl Needs Dancing Boots (Dutton Children’s Books, 2011).

In this tale, Nellie Sue has mastered riding Beauty, her two-wheeled horse, and is looking for a friend to help her break in her new dancing boots. But the only girl her age in the neighborhood seems more interested in ballet than barn dances. But Nellie Sue doesn’t give up until she and Anna find out just what they have in common.

The story features lots of down-home language, vibrant artwork by illustrator Lynne Avril and a happy ending.

As Kirkus Reviews says, “The glittery stars and hearts on the cover may lure readers into Nellie Sue’s pink cowgirl world, but it’s her hopeful, unbroken spirit that’ll win ‘em over.”

Now, let’s see what today’s guest reviewer, Sonia, has to say. Sonia is, after all, a bit of an expert on cowgirl boots as she owns two pair. You’ll notice she’s wearing one of each in the photo. Sonia also relates to Nellie Sue because she just mastered riding her two-wheeler and because she tries to ride real horses whenever she possibly can.

Take it away, Sonia!

Our reviewer: Sonia

Age: 9

I like:Playing DS fashion stylist games, getting new stuffed animals, watching TV and playing with my friends.

This book was about: A cowgirl named Nellie Sue who wants to play with friends, but the only people her age in her neighborhood are the glitter girls, and Nellie Sue doesn’t think they’ll like the same things she does. So Nellie Sue gets an idea from her dog, Ginger, and throws a barn dance and invites the girls. First, she doesn’t think anyone will come, but they do. And Nellie Sue gets to dance in her dancing boots. And, so do the glitter girls. Nellie shares pink lemonade and even her boots with her new friends.

The best part was when: Anna and Nellie Sue became friends.

I smiled when: Nellie Sue gave her boots to Anna.

I was worried when: I thought the glitter girls might not come to her party.

My favorite line or phrase in the book was: “I’d rather be a cowgirl,” said Anna.

My favorite picture was: When Nellie Sue is looking over at the glitter girls and one of the girls spots her and thinks she is spying.

This book taught me: You should be nice to everyone, because they might turn into a really good friend.

Three words that best describe this book: “Dancing.” “Boots.” “Glitter.”

Other kids reading this book should watch for: Lots and lots of pink and bigger words like “Trip. Slip. Slide.”

You should read this book: If you like cowgirls or glitter.

Thanks, Sonia!

If you’d like to learn more about Rebecca Janni, you can visit her website or read this interview on Cynsations.

If you’d like to learn more about Lynne Avril, visit her website or read this quick interview.

And, if you’re not familiar with Rebecca and Lynne’s first collaborative effort, read Brooke’s review of Every Cowgirl Needs a Horse.

Being a school librarian can be a tough job. You might know the perfect book for a student, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can get the kid in question to read it.

Some high schoolers are very concerned about what their peers think and don’t want to be seen with a book that sends the wrong message. They might read Star Trek novels, for example, but would draw the line at carrying them around school.

So if I were the librarian at William McKinley High School, I’d have to approach David Karofsky very carefully.

First, some background …

If you watch Glee, you know Karofsky, who’s portrayed by the exceptional Max Adler, started the season as the school bully, throwing slushies at Glee Club members. The football player also targeted Kurt Hummel, slamming him into lockers and generally terrorizing him.

As the season progressed, it became clear Karofsky was struggling with his own sexual orientation. He kissed an unexpecting Kurt and then threatened to kill him if he told anyone. By the final episode – with a little help from Santana Lopez – Karofsky had become Kurt’s defender. But he still wasn’t ready to accept himself or share his feelings with his friends or family.

That’s where these books could help.

I’d give Karofsky two books by Catherine Gilbert Murdock – Dairy Queen (Houghton Mifflin, 2006) and The Off Season (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). I’d have to be a little careful, because different editions of the books feature different cover art, some of which is quite feminine. And Karofsky doesn’t strike me as the type of guy who’d want to carry around a book with a picture of a cow wearing a tiara on the cover.

But once he got started, I think Karofsky would really get into the story of D.J. Schwenk, who lives on a struggling dairy farm in Wisconsin with her sports-loving family. Both her older brothers are hometown heroes for their accomplishments on the field and now play college football.

D.J., who’s over six feet tall and very strong, is something of a success story herself. She plays linebacker for her high school team (and does a much better job of it than the Glee girls who played for McKinley High during the Super Bowl episode.)

But D.J.’s life is far from easy. Nearly all her free time is spent keeping the farm running. She’s failing English and won’t be able to play if she can’t bring her grades up. Her parents are preoccupied with financial and health issues. Her best friend and younger brother have been acting funny, and she’s got a … well … complicated relationship with the starting quarterback from an opposing football team.

But here’s the kicker.

Nearly every character struggles with figuring out who they really are and deciding how to live their lives.

D.J. is used to going along with whatever her family and friends want rather than speaking up for herself. Will she find her voice? And if she does, what will she say?

Curtis, D.J.’s younger brother, pretends to like sports to keep the peace, but dreams of being a dentist and sneaks off to enter the science fair because he doesn’t think his parents would support his interests.

Amber, D.J.’s best friend, eventually admits she’s a lesbian, even though it makes things awkward with D.J. and damages Amber’s relationship with her mom.

And Win, D.J.’s older brother, gets injured and has to reassess what his life might be like if he’s no longer a football player.

This could get Karofsky thinking.

Who is he really underneath his tough facade? What does he want his life to be? How could he achieve that? And, what’s stopping him from being honest with himself – not to mention with his family and friends?

If I were Karofsky’s librarian, I’d give him both books and tell him to pay special attention to Chapter 19 in The Off Season when Curtis admits who he really is and D.J.’s sort-of boyfriend shows his true colors.

If you’d like to know more about Catherine Gilbert Murdock, these books, or the final installment of the series, Front and Center (Houghton Mifflin, 2009), visit her website.

And finally, if you’d like to see which books I’d recommend to other Glee characters, they are:

• David Karofsky – Dairy Queen and The Off Season both by Catherine Gilbert Murdock.
• Rachel Berry – Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin.
• Kurt Hummel – Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan.

School is ending across America, leaving teenagers wondering just how to spend their summer.

One good idea might be for them to read A&L Do Summer (Egmont USA, 2011), the newest novel by Iowa author Jan Blazanin. It follows Laurel and Aspen on a series of well-intentioned misadventures involving pigs, skunks, boys, firecrackers, mud, beer and more.

Today, Jan visits Read, Write, Repeat to talk about the book and her best summer adventures when she was a teen.

A&L Do Summer is about the adventures two Iowa girls get into during what they think will be a boring summer. What’s the most adventurous thing you ever did over a summer?

None of my adventures were nearly as wild as Aspen and Laurel’s. One summer, I took a biology class where we chased insects, collected plants and puddled in ponds and streams looking for microscopic creatures. I spent two summers working on a chicken farm, which unfortunately was a factory farm rather than free range like Eggstra Good. Whenever possible, I caught a ride into Adel to go swimming in the town pool. But living in the country with no transportation except my bike kept me from being too adventurous.

Were you more like Laurel or Aspen as a teen?

I was more like Aspen in appearance as well as personality. We were both conscientious students who obeyed our parents and teachers, earned good grades and turned our homework in on time. And I definitely had — and still have — her sarcastic sense of humor.

However, there was a Laurel side of my personality that occasionally broke through and convinced me to do something foolish. For example, in the middle of the night at a slumber party five other girls and I decided to take a walk through town. I’m not 100 percent sure it was my idea, but if it wasn’t, I jumped on board without a moment’s thought. The policemen on patrol saw us, and we ran like criminals, which led to a trip to the police station at 3 a.m. Definitely a Laurel moment.

You live in Iowa. How many of the Iowa references are true to life, and how many just seem like things people in Iowa might do? Are any based on things that happened to you or your friends?

While none of the incidents were “ripped from the headlines” in their entirety, quite a few are based on actual events. My friend Susie’s pet skunk inspired me to create Sammy Stripers. A grumpy woman who lived down the street from my grandparents was the model for Miss Simmons. My brother’s friend Alan threw M-80s into the toilets of the Adel City Park, and the police sentenced him to spend his summer painting buildings and fences in the park. Another of my brother’s friends vomited on a police officer’s shoes after the car he was riding in was pulled over.

My sophomore year in college I went to a kegger in the woods that the police discovered. A guy from school helped me escape, but I tore my shorts climbing fences and lost part of one shoe in a plowed field. I also missed curfew and was “campused” for a week. And the school sent a letter to my parents.

What’s the story behind this book? How did it evolve?

The idea for A&L Do Summer came from a friend who told me about an article she read in a local newspaper. Several high school kids were suspended for smuggling a pig into the principal’s office. That article triggered my memories of the kind of high school incidents we’d all rather forget. As the idea evolved I picked my brother’s brain for the funniest and most embarrassing moments he could remember. After I created Aspen — a small-town Iowa girl with an older brother — the rest of the story quickly fell into place.

There’s been a lot of focus in the media about bullying. Your story features some high school boys who bully Aspen and Laurel. What do you hope readers will take away from that story line?

Although I didn’t write the story with a bullying message in mind, the girls would have avoided most of their trouble if they’d told their parents or Officer Sierra that they were being bullied. I would advise teens to stand up to bullies if possible. But if that strategy doesn’t discourage them, tell a person in authority. If the first person you ask for help isn’t effective, ask someone else. Whatever you do, don’t suffer in silence.

What advice would you give teens looking to have an awesome summer?

Get out of the house and away from the computer and television. You can do that stuff anytime. Dive into volunteer activities, spend time with your friends, and enjoy the gorgeous summer weather. Sit in the shade and read a book, walk the dog, drink fresh lemonade. Summer disappears before you know it, so appreciate it before it’s gone.

And, finally, what other projects are you working on?

I just finished the first draft of a young adult paranormal novel about two teens — one from the present and the other from 3,000 years ago. They must work together to complete a mission or risk the destruction of both worlds.

Thanks, Jan! It was great having you visit.

Jan has written another young adult novel called Fairest of Them All (MTV, 2009). It tells the story of Oribella Bettencourt, an up-and-coming model, dancer and actress who suffers from alopecia and loses her hair, and possibly, her career.

If you’d like to learn more about Jan, visit her website.

You also can read an interview with Jan at Mike’s Blog and Notes and another review of A&L Do Summer at The Book Swarm.