Kirstin Cronn-Mills

(Photo credit goes to Jason Puckett.  What a badass tattoo!  But of course you can be a badass librarian without any ink.)

Meeting and hanging out with librarians has to be one of *the best* gifts of a YA life.  I don’t think I could love librarians any harder if I tried.   A librarian is a superhero, a search engine, and a kind soul, all wrapped into a smart and interesting person.  Plus, librarians make writers feel like rock stars in a way nobody else can.  It’s the best feeling in the world, to know that a librarian likes your book.

I could thank librarians forever–so many have been kind to my books–but I really want to thank the librarians who’ve slipped a copy of a YA novel (anybody’s novel) to a kid and said, “Read this.  I think you’ll like it,” knowing full well the kid will devour it and maybe even keep it, and the librarian will gladly pay to have it replaced.  Librarians are the people who KNOW:  they know what kid can use which book, and they can *see* that kid, even when s/he’s invisible to everyone else around him.  They know how to comfort people with good stories, and they set up love affairs better than the best matchmaker around.  YA literature wouldn’t be the force it is without them.

Happy holidays, librarians!  You rock, and I owe you.  Like a lot.  (And want to win some books, librarians and librarian friends?  Post a comment!)

(and DON’T FORGET TO BID at YA for NJ–win cool stuff and support the Community Food Bank of New Jersey!  Kidlit peeps = they are as badass as librarians.)

My kid and his cousin, 4th of July, hot and surly at a parade

So maybe this is obvious, but I love teenagers, probably about as much as I love pumpkin malts, so that’s pretty huge, and writing about them is a complete joy.  When I sold my first book, my kid was 9.  Now he’s 14 and he’s one of my target audience members.  But even if he never reads one of my books (which he probably won’t, because he keeps saying “Mom, why can’t you write a normal book?”), I’m still trying to write for him.  I want him to laugh, to enjoy following a character around, and to be sad when the book is done.  I want his friends to feel the same.

But even if it’s not my own kid and his shenanigans, teenagers as a whole are phenomenal.  Sometimes they’re hurtful and out of control, but mostly they’re just confused, silly people running around in bodies that are freaking out.  Watching them discover this crazy world is a delight (and what they love is so random!).  Of course, I am restricted from my kid’s life because I’m The Mom (gag! eek!  ick!  no!), but his friends don’t feel I’m quite that awful.  So I watch and write stuff down.  Not in a creeper way, but I pay attention.

teenagers and their jackalope, Wall Drug

I love you, squirrelly YA subjects.  I want to write about you forever.

(Care to chime in?  Teenagers, yes?  No?  Only when you’ve had enough coffee? Comment away!)

Oh friends–this is one of the most awesome gifts of all.  Do you know how many cool people write kidlit?  No, you do not, but I am telling you, there are *so many cool people* who do!  And I have met some of them, from all across the country.  This post would be a mile long if I listed all the cool people I know who write fiction and nonfiction for kids (all ages), so I’ll be non-specific.  But–wow.  Let me say it again–so many cool people.

I am particularly lucky to live in MN, where we have a crap-ton of kidlit writers who are GOOD, including National-Book-Award-winning good (our own Will Alexander!).  But also just really good, and they are kind enough to include me in their circle.  That photo is from a Teen Literature Network event about a month ago in the Twin Cities, and that’s just a few of us who write YA.  There are heaps more kidlit writers around here.

I always feel like a dork when I’m with them, because of all the things they know, but they are kind, and they help me learn.  And kidlit writers do good things in the world.  For instance, folks put together YA for NJ, a fundraiser to help the Community Food Bank of New Jersey.  I didn’t manage to get my act together in time to participate, but you should GO AND BID–auctions end December 7 (which is FRIDAY.  So much stuff from so many awesome writers–get it while you can!

Best writers ever, right?  Sing their praises and leave a thought.  You want a chance to win some books!

most literal cereal name ever

Randomness = the gift that keeps on giving.  I’m curious by nature, so I pay attention to random stuff, but I also love it because “randomness” is generally another word for “hilariousness.”  It’s also a huge bonus for what I write: teenagers, by nature, are random as hell, so transferring all my favorite random things into my books makes perfect sense.

Some of my favorite randoms in my own stuff:  how Morgan yells in SKY; the chapter titles in BEAUTIFUL MUSIC; the dinosaurs roaming through one of my WIPs; and the character name “Uncle Epic” in another WIP.  Some of my favorite randoms in kidlit:  the name Stanley Yelnats in HOLES; the talking pagoda in PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ; and the game “That Guy is a Gigolo” in PAPER TOWNS.

How about you?  Say something random in the comments, or something about randomness.  Your comment may randomly win you some books!

Gail and Teagan, don’t you want to have fun instead?

Duh.  Writers need readers.  But YA readers are especially phenomenal.  Up above is my friend (and former student) Gail, reading SKY, and her bestie Teagan, reading CHASING ALLIECAT by one of *my* besties, Rebecca Fjelland Davis.  And they’re on a cruise, people!  They’re not looking at all the pretty scenery, eating all the luxe food, or drinking themselves silly, they’re *reading*.  I love a reader that’s dedicated to her books.  Now, it’s possible this photo was staged (gasp!).  HOWEVER, I know these women, and I know there was reading going on at some point.

The really cool thing about YA readers is that they come in all ages, from all cultures, with all sorts of reasons to read about teenagers.  YA appeals to so many people because we were all YAs at one point in our lives.  It’s kind of awesome to know that humans everywhere share this experience.  And I love it when people argue about what should be in YA and what shouldn’t (yes sex!  no sex! yes darkness!  no darkness!).   Arguing about something means people are engaging with it, and that’s what good readers do.  No book will please everybody, and that’s OK.   When I find readers/reviewers who don’t like my books, it’s a great opportunity to learn.  I am not kidding about this–but sometimes the learning comes after the sad/mad moment.

Readers, you’re the best.  Maybe you knew that, but it’s good to remind you.  And now, friends, it’s your turn.  Wanna tell us what you like about *being* a reader?  Your comment gets you the chance to win books (leave your e-mail address, too)!

AND–here are the 6 books I’ll give away (along with 6 sets of my own books) during these 12 Days of YA:

Ask the Passengers, A.S. King (because Amy’s brilliant)

Silhouette of a Sparrow, Molly Beth Griffin (because it’s gorgeous)

Stupid Fast, Geoff Herbach (because Felton is impossible not to adore)

The Raven Boys, Maggie Stiefvater (because it’s Maggie)

This Is Not a Test, Courtney Summers (because it’s a zombie-but-not book)

The Book Thief, Markus Zusak (because everyone should read it)

Know what I love?  December!  It’s my favorite month of the year.  Why? The semester ends, which means I have more writing time (yay!), plus it usually snows, plus it’s Christmas and my birthday, and lots of other family members’ birthdays too (8 of us total), and there are Christmas cookies, A Charlie Brown Christmas (and the Vince Guaraldi soundtrack), and PRESENTS!  Who doesn’t love presents??

Imagine that house up there is labeled “being a YA author.”  Aside from my kid, being a YA writer is the best present I’ve ever been given, a house-sized giftie full of all the great things I’ll tell you about in the 12 Days of YA (and there will be no partridges or pears, though both are lovely).  I could go on and on about all this crazy amazing life I love, so I thought I’d share the joy with you, just for fun.  PLUS, in the spirit of giving, I’m going to give *you* gifts.  And that matters even more!

I’ll give away six sets of my books (one copy each of SKY and BEAUTIFUL MUSIC) plus I will *also* give away six of my favorite YA novels—titles to follow, because I’m still choosing—one (set of) book(s) for each day of the 12 Gifts.  How to enter?  Comment on any of the 12 posts.  The posts will run December 3-7, December 10-14, and December 17-18.  Winners will be selected at random, so please put your e-mail address in your comment so I know where to find you if you win.  If I hear back from you once you’re chosen, I’ll mail your book(s) before the world ends on December 21.  If I don’t hear from you, books will be mailed after the world starts again, but it will be in the new year, once I’m back from my holiday travels.

Come back on Monday for the first of the 12 gifts of YA (in no particular order).  Can’t wait!