So, when a big site like SheKnows.com says that BOYOLOGY and HOW TO RAISE YOUR PARENTS are in the top 5 books for teens/tweens, it means a lot. Parenting expert Melissa Chapman picked both of them in her recent list of top 15 books for preschoolers, kids and teens (they’re in the teen bracket, obviously). And her goal was to pick books that parents could get teens – that teens would actually like! So, this is like a double scoop of rocky road with a cherry on top (and a few chocolate sprinkles). It’s so exciting to have this recommendation from someone like Melissa and a big site like SheKnows, and even bigger that they say teens will like them. Yay!

So, come by Books of Wonder on Sunday, March 21st between 2:00 and 6:00 PM and get books signed by these totally fantastic YA authors. Check below for specific signing times for each author. There are signing shifts in order to fit all the authors in the store. I’ll be there from 2:00-2:45 PM (because B is near the beginning of the alphabet. Loving that!) – and I get to sign with a really cool group.

Books of Wonder is located at 18 W. 18th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues) in Manhattan.
(Thanks to Book Girl Reviews for putting together this amazing list of all the authors AND their books.)

2:00-2:45
Alma Alexander
- Worldweavers: Gift of the Unmage
- Worldweavers: Spellspam
- Worldweavers: Cybermage
Nora Raleigh Baskin
- Anything But Typical
- What Every Girl (Except Me) Knows
- Almost Home
- All We Know of Love
- The Truth About My Bat Mitzvah
- In the Company of Crazies
- Basketball (or Something Like It)
Cathleen Davitt Bell
- Slipping
- Little Blog on the Prairie (May 11th)
Judy Blundell
- What I saw and How I Lied
Libba Bray
- Going Bovine
- A Great and Terrible Beauty
- Rebel Angels
- The Sweet Far Thing
Coe Booth
- Tyrell
- Kendra
Elise Broach
- Shakespeare’s Secret
- Masterpiece
- Desert Crossing
Alexandra Bullen
- Wish
Nick Burd
- The Vast Fields of Ordinary
Sarah Burningham (that’s me!)
- Boyology: A Teen Girl’s Crash Course in All Things Boy
- How to Raise Your Parents: A Teen Girl’s Survival Guide
Susane Colasanti
- When It Happens
- Take Me There
- Waiting For You
- Something Like Fate (May 4th)
Matt De La Pena
- We Were Here
- Mexican WhiteBoy
- Ball Don’t Lie
- I Will Save You (October 12th)
Violet Haberdasher
- Knightly Academy
Maggie Stiefvater
- Shiver
- Linger (July 20th)
- Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception
- Ballad: A Gathering of Faeries

2:45-3:30
Tom Dolby
- Secret Society
- The Trouble Boy
- The Sixth Form
Heather Duffy-Stone
- This Is What I Want to Tell You
Sarah Beth Durst
- Ice
- Into the Wild
- Out of the Wild
Elizabeth Eulberg
- The Lonely Hearts Club
Gayle Forman
- You Can’t Get There From Here
- If I Stay
- Sisters in Sanity
Aimee Friedman
- Sea Change
- The Year My Sister Got Lucky
- French Kiss
- South Beach
- Hollywood Hills
- A Novel Idea
Jenny Han
- Shug
- The Summer I Turned Pretty
- It’s Not Summer Without You (April 27th)
Alice Hoffman
- The Story Sisters
- The Foretelling
- Practical Magic
- Turtle Moon
- Here on Earth
- Incantation
- Slylight Confessions
- The Ice Queen
Carla Jablonksi
- Silent Echoes
- Thicker Than Water
- The Books of Magic Series
Melissa Kantor
- Girlfriend Material
- Confessions of a Not It Girl
- If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where’s My Prince?
- The Breakup Bible
- The Amanda Project
Kristen Kemp
- I Will Survive
- The Dating Diaries
- Breakfast at Bloomingdale’s
Michelle Knudsen
- The Dragon of Trelian
- Library Lion
- Fish and Frog
Peter Lerangis
- WTF
- The Spy X series
- The Watchers series
- The 39 Clues series
David Levithan
- Love is the Higher Law
- The Realm of Possibility
- Boy Meets Boy
- Wide Awake
- Are We There Yet?
- How They Met and Other Stories
- Marly’s Ghost
- Naomi and Ely’s No Kiss List
- Nick & Norah’s Inifite Playlist
- Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares (October 12th)

3:30-4:15
Sarah Darer Littman
- Purge
- Confessions of a Closet Catholic
Barry Lyga
- Boy Toy
- Hero-Type
- The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth GIrl
- Goth Girl Rising
- Wolverine: Worst Day Ever
Robin MacCready
- Buried
Carolyn Mackler
- Tangled
- Guyaholic
- Love and Other Four-Letter Words
- Vegan Virgin Valentine
- The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things
Sarah Maclean
- The Season
- Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake (March 30th)
Marianne Mancusi
- Girls That Growl
- Boys That Bite
- Stake That
- Bad Blood
- A Connecticut Fashionista In King Arther’s Court
- A Hoboken Hipster in Sherwood Forest
Amanda Marrone
- Uninvited
- Revealers
- Devoured
Wendy Mass
- Finally
- Leap Day
- A Mango-Shaped Space
- Heaven Looks a Lot Like the Mall
- Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life
- 11 Birthdays
- Every Soul A Star
Lauren McLaughlin
- Cycler
- Recylcer
Neesha Meminger
- Shine, Coconut Moon
Sarah Mlynowski
- Fishbowl
- Milkrun
- How To Be Bad
- Gimme a Call (April 27th)
- Parties & Potions
- Frogs & French Kisses
- Bras & Broomsticks
- Spells & Sleeping Bags
- Monkey Business
- As Seen on TV
Michael Northrup
- Beautiful Ecstasy
Robin Palmer
- Little Miss Red
- Cindy Ella
- Geek Charming

4:15-5:00
Diana Peterfreund
- Rampant
- Ascendant (September 28th)
- Tap & Gown (Ivy League Novel)
- Secret Society Girl (Ivy League Novel)
- Under the Rose (Ivy League Novel)
- Rites of Spring (Break)
Shani Petroff
- Daddy’s Little Angel
- The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
- Careful What You Wish For (June 10th)
- Love Struck (December 23rd)
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
- Eighth-Grade Superzero
Matthue Roth
- Losers
- Never Mind the Goldbergs
- Yom Kippur a Go-Go: A Memoir
Marie Rutkoski
- The Cabinet of Wonders
- The Celestial Globe (April 13th)
Lisa Ann Sandell
- A Map of the Known World
- The Weight of the Sky
- Song of the Sparrow
Samantha Schutz
- I Don’t Want To Be Crazy
Elizabeth Scott
- The Unwritten Rule (March 16th)
- Something, Maybe
- Stealing Heaven
- Bloom
- Perfect You
- Living Dead Girl
- Love You, Hate You, Miss You
Kieran Scott
- Geek Magnet
- I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader
- A Non-Blonde Cheerleader in Love
- She’s So Dead to Us (May 25th)
- Jingle Boy
- Brunettes Strike Back
Courtney Sheinmel
- Positively
- My So-Called Family
- Sincerely: Sincerely, Sophie; Sincerely, Katie (June 8th)
Sara Shepard
- The Visibles
- Pretty Little Liars series
- All The Things We Didn’t Say
Abby Sher
- Kissing Snowflakes
- Amen, Amen, Amen: Memoir of a Girl Who Couldn’t Stop Praying (Among Other Thing)
Jon Skovron
- Struts & Frets

5:00-5:45
Jennifer Smith
- You Are Here
- The Comeback Season
Natalie Standiford
- How To Say Goodbye In Robot
- The Dating Game series
Rachel Vail
- Gorgeous
- Lucky
- You, Maybe: The Profound Asymmetry of Love in High School
- If We Kiss
- Do Over
David Van Etten
- Likely Story
- All That Glitters
- Red Carpet Riot
Siobhan Vivian
- Same Difference
- A Little Friendly Advice
Adrienne Maria Vrettos
- Skin
- Sight
- The Exile of Gigi Lane (April 6th)
Melissa Walker
- Violet on the Runway
- Violet By Design
- Violet in Private
- Lovestruck Summer
Robin Wasserman
- Skinned
- Crashed
- Wired (September 14th)
- Chasing Yesterday books
- The Seven Deadly Sins series
Suzanne Weyn
- The Diamond Secret
- Reincarnation
- The Night Dance
- The Crimson Thread
- Distant Waves
- The Bar Code Tattoo
- Bar Code Rebellion
- Water Song
Lynn Weingarten
- Wherever Nina Lies
Martin Wilson
- What They Always Tell Us
Jake Wizner
- Spanking Shakespeare
- Castration Celebration
Maryrose Wood
- Why I Let My Hair Grow Out
- How I Found the Perfect Dress
- What I Wore to Save the World
- My Life: The Musical
- Sex Kittens and Horn Dawgs Fall in Love
Michelle Zink
- Prophecy of the Sisters
- Guardian of the Gate (August 1st)

LEXINGTON, KY – Monday, September 7th @ 7:00pm
Joseph Beth Booksellers
161 Lexington Green Circle, #B
Lexington, KY 40503
859-273-2911

CINCINNATI, OH – Tuesday, September 8th @ 7:00pm
Joseph Beth Booksellers
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208
513-396-8960

LOUISVILLE, KY – Wednesday, September 9th @ 7:30pm
Borders Books & Music
2520 S. Hurstbourne Gem Lane (and Taylorsville Road)
Louisville, KY 40220
502-495-6640

MIAMI, FL – Friday, September 11th @ 8:00pm
SPECIAL GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT with CARMINDY from WHAT NOT TO WEAR!
Books & Books
265 Aragon Avenue
Coral Gables, FL
305-442-4408

As the blogger behind Hey Teenager! and the appropriately named stephbowe.com,  Steph knows YA and knows it well. Not only is she a YA (young adult or as I prefer, young author) but she reads. All. The. Time.

So, when Steph and I started trading emails, I wanted to get her advice on what to read next. And it only seemed fair to share it with the rest of you. So here are the top three books of the “Season” according to Steph. Read and enjoy!

1. If you want a book that’ll make you think: Chenxi and the Foreigner by Sally Rippin. Chenxi and the Foreigner tells the story of Anna, a wealthy Australian girl who goes to study painting in Shanghai, where she meets and becomes obsessed with Chenxi, a local boy who hides a terrible secret. Its set in 1989, in the weeks before the Tiananmen Square protests, and it’s a truly honest, raw novel, set in a place and a time where YA doesn’t usually go. There is so much thought-provoking content in it that it almost seems non-fiction, but it is also wonderful novel.

2. If you want a book that isn’t a conventional novel, but is still wonderful: Skim by Mariko and Jillian Tamaki. Skim is a graphic novel that is basically the diary of Kim (aka Skim). It might not be for everyone, but I thought it captured what it’s like to be a teenage girl really honestly, without glorification. It’s definitely worth checking out, if you haven’t already – there were so many lines in it that I had to write down, and I found it wonderfully inspiring and sad at the same time. (Okay, I have to share one. Please? From page 128 of Skim – ‘This is the thing about school dances. They make like it’s supposed to be this other-worldly thing, but really it’s just the people you see every day dressed up, standing in the gym in the dark with Red Hot Chilli Peppers playing.’ I have to say, that is really true, to me at least.)   

3. If you want a book that’ll make you laugh and cry: Sprout by Dale Peck. This is possibly one of the funniest books I’ve read all year, but it’s also a really heart-breaking story about love. Sprout is a novel filled with fantastic characters, written so well and so real and so honest, and I loved the way in which it broke free of stereotypes, to be a novel that doesn’t even really need to be an LGBT novel (Sprout is gay), but instead a story about love and acceptance, things that all people – teenagers included – search for, not just one demographic.

If I could pick another book (which I’ll mention anyway, though I’m not meant to), I’d choose Boyology by Sarah O’Leary Burningham – not a novel, but with all the elements that make books for teens great – most notably honesty and humour – but with life & love lessons and pretty illustrations!

(Note from Sarah: I swear on my little pinkie toe that I DID NOT pay Steph to write that about Boyology. But, ahem, I am going to mail her chocolate. Lots of chocolate.)

Teenreads.com – a great site for all things YA – just published my essay

It was raining the day my agent called to say Chronicle Books wanted to publish my first book. I remember, because immediately after she called, I found myself standing on a busy street in downtown New York City, shivering and dialing my parents’ house in Salt Lake. They were my first call–the book is titled HOW TO RAISE YOUR PARENTS: A Teen Girl’s Survival Guide, after all.

As luck would have it, my mom was just back from running errands and my dad had stopped home for lunch, so they were both on the phone when I broke the big news. It was fitting actually, considering the idea for this book was hatched while I was having a talk with my parents. Only this time, I wasn’t a teenager — and I wasn’t in trouble.

“Just don’t tell the world what bad parents we are,” my mom said, laughing, but I could hear the hesitation in her voice.

A few days later I got an e-mail from my dad, “This made me laugh and think of you. Love, Dad.” Attached was a Dan Piraro cartoon of two ragged parents at their author/daughter’s book signing. The bubble above their heads couldn’t have said it better: “Look, we’re SORRY. If we had known you were going to be a writer, we’d have been better parents!”

That settled it. My parents were terrified.

I imagine that most parents, even the most nearly perfect among them, would feel the same way. The thought of your family’s dirty laundry being aired in front of the world à la Augusten Burroughs probably isn’t what most parents have in mind when they think of leaving their history behind for posterity. Lucky for my mom and dad, my book isn’t that kind of book. It’s a parent-friendly advice book for teens, not a personal tell-all. For all our quirks, my family just doesn’t have enough dirt to make a good memoir. But try telling my parents that.

The fact that I conceived this book as a sixteen year old while being lectured about curfews probably didn’t help ease their minds. Yes, I was more than an hour late that night, but I couldn’t very well sit there quietly after I noticed the open parenting book on my mom’s nightstand — broken curfew or not, they were as clueless I was!

I figured the best way to convince them that my book wasn’t actually based on their parenting was to fill them in on the writing process. After finishing each new chapter, I would call home and casually slip what I thought were reassuring references to “the book” into our conversations.

“I finished the dating chapter today and it reminded me of that time I rented a movie with that guy and dad sat by us on the couch for the entire thing. Remember that?”

Pause.

“What about the first time I drove to the mall with you in the car? I thought you were going to hyperventilate!”

Pause. Pause.

“You guys really shouldn’t be worried. You know me better than anyone. Have I ever done anything to embarrass you?”

At this point the pauses were so long I could have driven the 2,174 miles home and arrived before either one of them offered a real response. My let’s-all-have-a-good-laugh-together theory wasn’t working. Maybe I had been a worse teenager than I remembered. Maybe the thought of reliving my teenage years was just that scary for them. I racked my brain trying to think if I’d ever come close to burning the house down.

And then the advance copies arrived.

For a new writer, holding your first book in your hands is a near-religious experience. I didn’t want to let it go, just in case the publisher changed its mind and this early copy was the only one ever printed; but at the same time, I was dying to share it with my mom and dad. I nearly choked when the woman behind the counter at the post office said the total for overnight delivery was $40. I could buy the complete series of “My So-Called Life” for that! But I forked over the cash after imagining waiting one more day for my parents’ final verdict.

Sure enough, the next afternoon, my cell phone rang and “Home” popped up on the caller ID. This was it. The moment of truth.

I shut my office door and clicked the green button. “Hi!” (Was I being overly cheery?)

My mom didn’t even offer a greeting before she launched in. I could hear my dad talking in the background.

“We were just laughing remembering that time the entire school showed up for your small birthday party and practically turned our basement into a mosh pit.”

(For the record, I remember that too, and the party was hardly reminiscent of a mosh pit, but my parents would say that’s my “teen interpretation.”)

“But you like it?”

“We love it. We’re so proud of you…”

There had to be more.

“And we can’t wait until you have teenagers.”

I didn’t say that at least my teenagers will have a copy of my book on hand. One thing I definitely learned as a teenager is knowing when to keep my mouth shut.

• Maria Shilaos did an interview with me for her Kids Stuff feature on KSL Radio in Salt Lake City. My best friend Jill came to the interview with me and started telling Maria stories about when we were teenagers. Lucky for me, Maria didn’t put that stuff on air!
• Walking on Air with Betsy and Sal – gotta say, I love these ladies. We really got into the boy breeds during this interview, and we all agreed that most guys never grow out of these completely.
• The Jackson Heights Times story is great because the reporter was a guy (the very cool Jeremy Walsh) and we’re about the same age. He had a good perspective on dating and was fun to talk with. Plus, it’s my local paper. Hometown pride! (even though the picture of me is terrible).
• Amy Barry’s column, Parent’s Eye View, in Connecticut’s The Day newspaper was fun, too. Amy was just totally down to earth asked great questions. She didn’t hedge around important topics like setting your boundaries and sex. And I like that. We’ve gotta talk about that stuff!

Jordyn Turney, aka Ninja Jordyn, is the voice behind Ten Cent Notes and a rising star on the YA scene.

I first met Jordyn Turney (19-year old writer, YA book blogger, and Twitteraholic) when I was working on How to Raise Your Parents last year. She reviewed it for her then-blog and we got to know each other. So, when I heard she launched her new blog Ten Cent Notes, I had to get her to share the skinny on life as a real YA book blogger. Here goes:

Q: You’ve been blogging about books for a few years now, and have even been published. (Check out Jordyn’s piece in RED.) How did you become such an expert in all things YA?
Short answer? By being very focused and also obsessed.
Longer answer? I’ve had the goal of writing in the YA genre for years and knew that I needed to learn everything I could about how the publishing industry operates, the differences between what’s considered YA versus adult, and anything else YA-relevant. I also love reading YA (it makes up the bread and butter of my admittedly large reading diet) and thanks to the book blog I’ve been able to interact with some amazing YA authors and find out even more about the genre and industry.

Q: So, with all of your reading, you must have some great book suggestions. What three “teen” books do you think everyone should read?
Ah! Great question! It’s sometimes very arbitrary what gets published as YA versus adult – I think there are a lot of really amazing YA books that adult readers (and even many older teen readers who just don’t read teen books) haven’t heard of. If I had to pick three, I’d suggest you all (YES, EVERYONE READING THIS.) check out:

1. The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin. It’s incredible. It’ll break your heart and make you grateful and hopeful.
2. Sweethearts by Sara Zarr. It has a completely cutesy cover that hides an amazing interior. It’s about the bonds we have with others that are truly unbreakable and the way those people influence us. Definitely one of my favorite books ever.
3. Paper Towns by John Green. It’s about the way we view others and how we don’t always view them authentically. Really amazing. Also, John Green is just a genius writer.

It was nearly impossible to only choose three. There are many incredible YA books the world needs to hear about!

Q: You give each book you review an actual letter grade. How do you break it down?
I break it up into ten different elements, each worth ten points. Premise, Plot, Characters, Relationships, Setting, Themes, Voice, Ending, Reccommendability (which isn’t a real word), and Fangirly (which just means how much did I personally love the book?). In addition, I also talk a little bit at the end about who would enjoy this particular book, because not everything appeals to everyone. It’s pretty in depth and I enjoy doing the reviews this way, I just hope they aren’t too long for readers.

Q: YA seems to have taken off as it’s own category in the last few years. Why do you think that is?
I’m sure there are a lot of reasons but I think a lot of it is due to such talented authors (like Sarah Dessen) who write seriously great stories that happen to have a lot of adolescent angst and issues in them. The abundance of great writing has really opened up YA as its own genre instead of an add-on to children’s literature (which I also love). YA today is a lot different from the way people – even people who are 19 or 20 like me – think of it. It’s not ghostwritten serials like Baby-Sitters Club (which I loved, by the way) or Animorphs anymore. It’s really amazing stories, authors, and characters.

Q: There are obviously great things to come from you. What’s are you working on next that we should keep our eyes out for?
Well, I’m working on a lot but I’m not sure how much of it will actually see the light of day. I’m writing periodically for the iheartdaily website as one of their teen recommenders. The blog (Ten Cent Notes) is huge for me right now, and I’m working with a few other YA bloggers to set up a sort of online writing group especially for those interested in YA. I’m also starting a new novel and trying to find an agent to represent me.

Which is why I was so happy to “discover” these 10 new YA blogs. Now, I say “discover” loosely, because I know that many readers have probably known about these for a long time. And yet, I had to share them, just in case you’re a creature of habit like me and haven’t found them quite yet…

• Ten Cent Notes – I loved Jordyn’s old blog and this one is even better. (Check back, I’m doing a Q&A with Jordyn in a few days!)
• Reader Girl – Smart. Smart. Smart.
• Alley of Books – I follow Mitali on Twitter. Love her.
• Korianne Speaks – another Twitter genius. With great taste in books.
• Five Awesome YA Fans – they video blog on YouTube. Yes, very cool.
• Sarah’s Random Musings – Good name. Good musings.
• Juiciliousss Reviews – Full disclosure, Stephanie did a mini-interview with me for BOYOLOGY. But I would read her blog even if she hadn’t.
• Green Bean Teen Queen – I like almost every librarian so it makes sense I would love one named Sarah who is a tween/teen librarian and reviews for TeensReadToo. The trifecta of awesome-ness.
• Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf – How can you not appreciate someone with a crammed bookshelf who writes thoughtful reviews?
• Flip the Page! – I particulary like the author interviews on this blog.

PS. These aren’t in any particular order. I love them all. And if I missed any, comment and let me know. Like I said – I’m always looking for something great to break the old habits.

Here's a quick shot of the segment on ABC News Now

I love the parenting host of ABC News Now, Annie Pleshette Murphy. She’s really in touch with what’s happening on the YA scene and had some good questions during our interview about BOYOLOGY. One of the recurring questions I’m getting from TV anchors and radio hosts is, “So how different IS it being a teenager today than when we were teens?”

But before I go into differences, I have to say that the butterflies, the heartbreak, the awkward first phone conversations are still the same. Not much really changes when it comes to love. But technology has added a few elements to dating, so here’s a quick primer:

1. CELL PHONES: Welcome to easy, breezy, and lower-risk communication. Texting can make that initial conversation less awkward because you’re not face-to-face. But that said, you can’t do the whole relationship by text. Make sure you can actually talk to each other. And be sure you’re smart about what you send out. This is important for everything you do online. I’ve heard some heartbreaking stories from girls who sent pics of themselves to boyfriends that were then sent to everyone. Remember that once you hit send – on anything! – you lose control of it.

2. FACEBOOK: I will just say, I love facebook. I’ve reconnected with some old friends and it’s an easy way to keep up with people. But when it comes to break-ups, facebook can make things that much more painful. The broken heart icon, having everyone comment on your wall to see what happened, not knowing whether or not to de-friend your now “ex.” I always say, when you first break-up with someone, step away from the computer and take a little break. Give yourself at least a day to think things over before you have to face the barrage of “friends” online.

3. IM’ing: So much easier than email. And emoticons can be cute, unless used to often and then they’re just annoying. But again, tone is hard to read. (Even with those smiley faces.) One guy I met told me his girlfriend broke up with him because he wasn’t “emotive enough” over IM. Seriously? This guy really liked her and I think he still does. But how many guys are really going to write love poems over IM? How do I love thee… I wouldn’t count on that. Remember, you must talk! IM is for quickie conversations or when you’re stuck in the library and everyone is shushing you.

Visit RJ Julia’s website for more event details or drop me an email: asksarahb@gmail.com.