We don't do stars...
We don't do thumbs...
We read children's books and grade them in 10 categories:
literary quality
plot
voice
originality
descriptive ability
humor (if attempted)
illustrations (if present)
believability of characters
believability of situations
overall reading enjoyment

There is no grading curve. There are no points for classroom participation. There is no extra credit.
If you disagree, come speak to us after class.

The Grading System

A+.....this means (guess what) we think it's great. So great it surprised even us.
A.....this means it's pretty darn good. A book we'd recommend to just about everyone we know.
B.....better than most. Not exactly Shakespeare for kids, though, if you get our drift.
C.....mediocre. Like the color beige, it didn't stand out.
D.....we didn't like it. There were more bad aspects than good ones.
F.....it reeked of badness. We read it over and over when we are in dire need of hysterical laughter.
F-.....We're pretty sure Dante had a circle of hell for the people who wrote these...and a lower circle for those who published them.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Author Interview: Jen Nadol


Tenner Interview #4 today brings us Jen Nadol, author of THE MARK (Bloomsbury USA), on shelves January 19.

CBR: What are ten words that best describe your book?
JN: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell?

CBR: What is one of your favorite sentences or paragraphs from your book?JN: I doodled Cassandra Canton in my notebooks, liking the alliterative sound of it whispered aloud, then quickly scribbled it out before Lucas could see that I wasn't the deep thinker he took me for, but just a silly schoolgirl after all.

CBR: Michelangelo once said, "What do you despise? By this you are truly known." What are ten things (smells, sounds, situations, etc.) you just can't stand?JN: Wasting time, pantyhose, Phil Collins’ music , knick-knacks, the fatty parts on meat, being disorganized, the Geico cavemen, shag carpet, TV shows with laugh tracks, not living up to committments I've made

CBR: If you had to spend the rest of your life on a desert island, what fictional character would you take with you?JN: Robinson Crusoe. He’s done it before and could save me some hassle trying to figure out how not to die.

CBR: Who are some authors that have inspired you?JN: Stephen King, Lisa McMann, John Irving

CBR: What book of the past ten years did you enjoy the most?JN: That’s really hard. City of Dreams by Beverly Swerling was excellent – a great story and fascinating look at early NYC.

CBR: When you were ten years old, what did you plan to be when you grew up?JN: I didn't have much of a plan at ten. Or at twenty, for that matter.

CBR: If you could choose anyone, living or dead, what illustrator would you choose to illustrate your book?JN: Rembrandt van Rijn

CBR: What would be your main character's theme song/some songs on the soundtrack for your book?JN: Just about anything by Nickelback – they have a real mortality/carpe diem thing going.

CBR: Could you give us any hints/teasers as to what your next project might be?JN: I have a paranormal YA novel on submission with my Bloomsbury editor right now and two other YAs that I’m working on, one paranormal, one dystopian.

CBR: Thank you so much, Jen, and we hope your release time is exciting and wonderful and everything you could hope for!

To learn more about Jen, you can visit her website at www.jennadolbooks.com.
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