Favorite Authors

Sometimes you read a book for a challenge.  Sometimes you read a book because you have to.  Sometimes you read a book because everyone else is reading it.  And sometimes you read a book just because you like that author.   That's what I did with Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer's Between the Lines. 

At first I was shocked to see a Jodi Picoult book on the shelves of an 8th grade classroom. Not that her books are scandalous, but they are written for adults and therefore some of the subject matter is better suited for adults not tweens.  Between the Lines; however, is written for young adults and Picoult co-wrote it with her daughter.  There is a note at the beginning of the book that explains the process.  It was great to get a little sneak peak on how the book was written.

The premise is simple.  What if characters in a book were simply playing a role for the reader whenever the book was opened?  What if when the book was closed they lived their own lives much like the toys in Toy Story?  What if one of these characters wasn't satisfied with his life inside the book and wanted more?  What would happen then?

Of course I'm not going to tell you. You will have to read the book yourself.  I can tell you that it is most definitely worth a read.

This book is a fabulous premise, which is credited to Picoult's daughter Samantha Van Leer, with all the best features of a Picoult novel: plot twists, multiple perspectives, and rich characters.  Sometimes authors who typically write for adults struggle to write a quality YA book.  Picoult, with the help of Van Leer, have kept all the quality of Picoult's adult writing and put it into a story adults and teens alike will find appealing.  
 
Bringing a book to life...that's kids stuff.