Kirkus (circ. 5,000) – Review – “After fleeing across the Mekong River and nearly drowning in the process, 12-year-old Lao Vonlai, his older sister, Dalah, and his parents are confined to an overcrowded refugee camp in Thailand in 1982 to wait for resettlement in a Western country. Food is scarce, and camp conditions are horrific, with little to sustain the family but a sense of community and dwindling hope, as months of confinement become years. Vonlai befriends an aging Lao colonel who teaches him woodcarving and determination, and he valiantly protects his sister from the ever-present danger of sexual assault. Even after eventual resettlement, it is clear that many challenges remain for the teen and his family. Basing the story on her husband’s childhood experiences, the author documents the refugees’ harrowing plight in riveting episodes that capture the hardships endured by these too-often forgotten people and also illustrate Vonlai’s difficult coming of age. A sad afterword that pairs perfectly with the fictionalized tale summarizes the real-life experiences of Anousone Manivong, adding further depth to an already moving tale. Essential.”
Booklist (circ. 29,125) – Review – “Based on the author’s husband’s experience, this first novel about escape from Communist Laos in 1982 is told from the viewpoint of Vonlai Sirivong, 12, who flees with his family across the border to Thailand. The focus is on his four years spent in a cramped, miserable UN refugee camp, where he is unable to attend school after sixth grade, and he waits for admission to the U.S. Brutality is always present: in one scene, Vonlai protects his older sister from attempted rape. He also bonds with an older man who lost everything and dreams of life in America . Finally, his family is interviewed, they say good-bye to the camp, and they travel to Kansas, where Vonlai hates the food, loves the snow, and plays sports. The specific details about camp life may be too repetitive for some readers. But refugee families and their friends everywhere will recognize the cruel dislocation, the interminable wait, and the search for home.”
What the heck is a hook? Writers hear about the need for one in their query letters to agents and editors. And writing a hook is not only good for your query letter (because I heard all those grumbles), it’s good for your manuscript. There’s no better way to focus the heart of a story than to summarize your novel with one pithy, make-me-wanna-look line.
So go here and soak in these hooks, and get a handle on what it means to be “high concept”: What’s a high concept hook?
Children’s author Uma Krishnaswami has written a review for ESCAPING THE TIGER:
This debut novel for upper elementary and middle school-aged readers tells the story of Vonlai Sirivong who is twelve at its opening and sixteen at its conclusion. In between we witness his first frantic escape with his family from their native Laos, then in the hands of the dreaded Pathet Lao. We follow them to refugee camps in Thailand before they finally gain admittance to the United States. Escaping the Tiger is a deeply felt story, simply told. Vonlai’s relationship with his older sister Dalah, and his shifting role relative to his parents, constitute the heart of this story. As he forges a place for himself despite the gritty conditions of the camp, playing soccer and waiting for an endless series of papers that bring in turn food, education, and finally freedom, he comes to understand what really matters in life. Manivong has created a believable protagonist, and she does not shy away from depicting the difficult living conditions in the Na Pho refugee camp. There are many threats to Vonlai’s family, including the near-rape of his sister. Nor does the story default to an undilutedly happy ending—instead we come to care about characters who make unexpected decisions, or who are left behind. Based on the author’s husband’s own experiences, this is a vivid and lovingly drawn tale of people caught in the crossroads of history and struggling to retain both dignity and hope.
BIBLIO: 2010, HarperCollins, Ages 10 to 14, $15.99.
REVIEWER: Uma Krishnaswami
FORMAT: Middle Grade
ISBN: 978-0-06-166177-8
Oh, and I just saw this from Newbery Winner Linda Sue Park! http://lsparkreader.livejournal.com/61626.html
Oh my, days don’t get much better than this! To see the video trailer, click the picture below:
Well, that may be an example of hyperbole, but I am amazed and thrilled at some of the places I see young adult literature popping up these days. Example: The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota. Yep, right there next to the popcorn balls and souvenir corncobs were Melissa Marr’s WICKED LOVELY and Stephanie Meyer
’s TWILIGHT.
Lookie what the mailman mailperson of unknown gender brought:
ARCs from HarperCollins!
Back of ARC (advance reader copy)!
The hardcover will be released 3.09.10.
I. Am. Done.
Book Trailer
Book Trailer: Escaping The Tiger from Laura Manivong on Vimeo.
Thanks so much to Bob Hess for the videography and voiceover narration! Thanks to Daniel Nelson for the music and the visual effects, aka, the mountains! Thanks to my nephew, Nelson, my sister-in-law Pauline, and my hubby, Troy, for their acting skills! To reiterate: I. Am. Done. Hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think, because if something irks you, them maybe I am NOT done.
Tips for creating your office space:
1. Paint is cheap.
2. Kids artwork does wonders.
3. Not all greens are created equal.
Now go write that novel that only you can write…
Before
After
Carpenter ants are feasting on my maple tree.
Carpenter ants are messy eaters.
Their portal for removing debris.
Human tests the depths of ants' destruction.
Nature's fountain...priceless.
Getting rid of tree...500 bucks.
Pic #1: I needed black boots. Spray paint was the cheap solution.
Pic #2: In order to play a refugee camp soccer ball, this one needed some scuffing up. Husband feigns fatigue.
Pic #3: I needed dirt. I had mud…and a blow dryer.
Pic #4: I raided mom-in-law’s kitchen for random props.
Pic #5: Sister-in-law turning her pond into the Mekong River.
Pic #6: Nephew dragging himself from “Mekong.” He let me pour water on him!
I must give my nephew a standing ovation. He was a great sport about running through trees, playing soccer barefoot on a rocky patch, handling a big, honking knife, and crawling out of a slimy “river.”
First line of trailer to accompany the river shot: “In a place forgotten by the world…”
So long, little unbound galley. Next time I see you, you will have grown a cover. Can’t wait to see you again.
