The fabulous Meg Cabot writes on her blog that you can buy advance copies of her books that come OUT IN DECEMBER -- Size 12 is Not Fat and Avalon High -- or buy autographed copies of Ready or Not, Princess Diaries, and The Mediator series, and at the same time help people harmed by Hurricaine Katrina, because the money goes for assistance.

Naturally, you all have donated goods or money by now -- at least I hope you have! One thing I did besides the Red Cross was to give copies of Harriet the Spy and a number of other great middle-grade novels to a charity that's helping evacuees, and will make sure the books get into the hands of kids who lost their homes. I learned about that from Cecil Castelluci, author of Boy Proof, and she gives the charity's Amazon Wish List and the address, here.

Anyway, back to reading Avalon High three months early:
Go to here to bid on autographed books and advanced reader copies of Meg Cabot books to aid people harmed by the hurricaine!

I got this meme, as I get nearly all memes, from Literaticat.
I can't resist them!!
But I also changed some of the questions to suit my own secret inclinations. :)

A - Age you got your first real kiss: Age 16. I was a late-nik.
B - Band listening to right now: Ben Folds Five.
C - Crush: Jake Gyllenhal. But he is way too young for me.
D - Dad's oddest quirk: Can only sing one note -- no tunes.
E - Easiest person to talk to: Wendy.
F - Favorite foods at the moment: Guacamole.
G - Gummy candies, gross or good? Good. Red ones. Sour ones.
H - Hometown: Not sure anymore.
I - Instruments: Former piano player of zero talent. I like to sing.
J- Junior High: Was a very difficult time in my life.
K - Kids: Are excellent.
L - Longest car ride ever: Driving from New York City to Kansas City, alone. With no radio.
M - Mom's oddest quirk: Always writes in purple pen.
N - Nicknames: I don't invite nicknames. In high school I was sometimes called Fembot.
O - One wish: Good health for my family.
P - Phobia[s]: Talking to strangers on the telephone. (Like ordering room service). Airplanes.
Q - Quote: One of the secrets of happiness is frequent small treats.
R - Reason(s) to smile: Wodehouse.
S - Song you sang last: Oliver! Oliver! Never Before Has a Boy Asked for More! (don't ask)
T - Time you woke up [today]: 7:15 am, which is very late for me.
U - Unknown fact about me: I can not go to sleep without putting moisturizer on my feet.
V - Vegetable you hate: I don't hate vegetables. I hate eggs.
W - Worst habit(s): Bossyboots.
X - X-rays you've had: Not many.
Y - Yummy food: Camembert.
Z - Zodiac sign: Virgo.

Want to know what books to buy this fall? Here are the Fall 2005 BookSense Teen reading Picks. Click on the link and then scroll down to see them all, but here are a couple that intrigued me, and that I have not otherwise mentioned on this blog.

THE COUNTERFEIT PRINCESS, by Jane Resh Thomas The BookSense recommender said: "This ripping good tale of a girl's life in the terrifying years before Elizabeth I ascended the throne introduces a smart new heroine."

IF I HAVE A WICKED STEPMOTHER, WHERE'S MY PRINCE?, by Melissa Kantor The BookSense recommender said: "Melissa Kantor has brought us another delightful read."

POISON, by Chris Wooding. The BookSense recommender said: "A creepy and clever story about a girl named Poison and her friends, who embark upon a quest to retrieve her stolen baby sister."

13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES, by Maureen Johnson. The BookSense recommender said: "Follow this teen on a trip of self-exploration, as she begins to realize how her favorite aunt (now deceased) lived!"

TWILIGHT, by Stephenie Meyer. The BookSense recommender said: "Isabella Swan is the sassy narrator of this fun, contemporary vampire story."

Professor Nana, the goddess of YA literature, says about Fly On The Wall: "I adored this book." Among other things. And if you want, in general, to know what's new and interesting to read in YA fiction, hers is a great site to read.

Also, more goodness, Suzi, aka Connorgal, who writes another excellent weblog on YA literature, says Fly on the Wall is "Not pretentious. Not precocious. Just authentic."

It's not in stores till March 06. These women have early copies. And no, I didn't pay them to stay that stuff! For excerpts from Fly, click here.

Robin Friedman wrote How I Survived My Summer Vacation: And Lived to Write the Story, which Children's Book Watch called "a unique, totally engaging, thoroughly entertaining, superbly written novel that will prove an instant favorite for any kid who has ever aspired to write a story of his or her own!"

She also wrote the more serious forthcoming book The Silent Witness: A True Story of the Civil War. And she sent in a boyfriend list!

Robin's taste is very good. No slimeballs, no guys you can't bring home to mama. Nice future pediatricians, news reporters and even saints! And most of them good kissers -- though she is way too nice to kiss and tell the way I am prone to do... I am very impressed.

--E

P.S. For those of you interested in writing and publishing, Robin's got a fascinating set of interviews with big time childrens and YA editors up on her site. Very informative reading.

A Boyfriend List
by Robin Friedman

1. Rich Wachs. My first love. I was 17. He was 16. I went to
Marlboro. He went to Manalapan. We went out for four months. He was
an incredible kisser! He's a pediatrician today, and also served in
the U.S. Air Force!

2. Noel Beal. We only went out for two months, but he was my date for
the senior prom, and we had a great time!

3. Brian McCarthy. My first 'serious' boyfriend. I was a college
freshman. He was a college senior! And he had a car! And he was a
fraternity brother at Sig Ep! We were both at Rutgers University.
Brian was an amazing kisser too. We went out for a year. He was the
Ultimate Nice Guy.

4. Tom Davis. We went out for six months. He was my boss at The Daily
Targum, the student newspaper at Rutgers, and he was the sweetest guy
in the world. We still keep in touch, and he's now a reporter at The
Record in NJ, and still the sweetest guy in the world.

5. Doobie Toren. My Israeli main squeeze the whole junior year I
spent in Israel. He was a terrific guy. Really made me practice my
Hebrew!

6. Steve Zeiontz. We went out for a year and a half.

7. Len Colner. Tall, blond, blue-eyed...he was my dream guy. And the
best kisser of all! We only went out for three months, but he rocked
my world.

8. Joel Friedman. The man I married! I made the best choice of all,
because Joel's a saint and he's hot!