Parse Gallery & Artist Situation in NOLA

Last week, while Philippe and I were visiting family and friends in Louisiana, we encountered Parse Gallery & Artist Situation in downtown New Orleans. 

Parse Gallery is a three-story building where two young artists are establishing a progressive and playful art community. The directors, Ricardo Barba (originally from Chicago) and Margot Walsh (originally from Richmond), run the space and invite diverse artists to come together to live and work, a kind of artist collective and community. The gallery is at 134 Carondelet Street, just on the fringe of the French Quarter, right past Canal Street. 

The first floor serves as a gallery. Up until yesterday, Parse was showing two young artists' works: Brooke Inman and Jess Laskosky, whose collective pieces are called "Still Life with Bombs." Up next is a show of Ricardo's works slated to begin in April. On the second floor, there is a residential space for the artists who join them for a time. On the spacious third floor is the studio space which is already operational, where the artists do their thing, but more space is on the way: Ricardo and Margot are expanding studio space and living quarters so as to welcome even more artists.

Wishing them much luck, and a few breaks! C'mon New Orleans!

Bonne chance à Ricardo, à Margot, et à Parse !

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The Batchelder Award?

Every year, we await the announcement of the Newbery and the Caldecott awards. "Moon Over Manifest," by Clare Vanderpool, is the 2011 Newbery Medal Award winner for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature, and the Caldecott Award for the most distinguished American picture book has been awarded to Erin E. Stead for "A Sick Day for Amos McGee."


But the American Library Association bestows many other awards for children's literature: among others, the Printz Award, for excellence in literature written for young adults; the Coretta Scott King Award, for an African American author of outstanding books for children and young adults; the Alex Awards, for the ten best book that appeal to teen audiences; the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award, for the most distinguished beginning reader book… and the Mildred L. Batchelder Award…

What was that last award?

One of those "other awards" receiving very little attention and even less press is one that interests me particularly. It is the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children's book first published in another language other than English, and then translated and subsequently published in the United States. I was extremely pleased to see that this year's winner was for a book originally published in French, and then translated from French to English.

This year's Batchelder selection is "A Time of Miracles," released in France in 2009 and entitled Le Temps des Miracles, written by Anne-Laure Bondoux and published by Bayard Jeunesse Millézime, translated from the French to English by Y. Maudet, published in English in the US by Delacorte Press Books.

Despite the glowing reviews the book received in France when it was published in 2009, American publishers are still leery of taking on the risk of a book translated from another language for American readers. "A Time of Miracles" is not the first book Delacorte Press has taken a risk on, and this publisher is to be commended for expanding young readers' horizons by offering them literature that speaks to the universal heart, yet through the prism of a culture other than our own.

Bravo, Anne-Laure Bondoux!
Bravo, Y. Maudet!
Bravo, Delacorte Press Books!

School Visit in Paris

What fun! Yesterday, I visited a class of fourth and fifth graders at the École 109, avenue Parmentier in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. Their teacher, Fabien Pacilly-Gamboa, had prepared them for my visit, and as a result, we all had a fabulous time. Not only had every single student read Combinaison gagnante, they were prepared with questions and comments about character development, whether it was difficult to imagine a fictional story and create a plot, and why I wrote in French instead of English. Many thanks to Fabien and his lively students for a wonderful visit.

The front door to the school 

109, avenue Parmentier, Paris 11e

Questions and Answers

The CM1 / CM2 class with the visiting author

Fabien and a few of his students

Kids Euro Festival Q & A

Speaking at the Kids Euro Festival was a lot of fun. It was the first time I was presenting my book and meeting readers, so I was a tad nervous. But both the children and the parents who turned out on a gorgeous fall day to hear about Axelle and Guillaume, the heroine of Combinaison gagnante and the brother with whom she exchanges her identity in order to race, were extremely warm and enthusiastically receptive. The questions they asked were apropos as well as amusing! Kids wanted to know how long it takes to write a book (months and months with countless revisions), if I had done the illustrations (no, it was Sébastien des Déserts, someone I'll be meeting for the first time in two weeks), if being a teacher helps me write books (yes, because of all the observations I make), and if I was already writing another book (just finished it and mailed it off… last night!). They also wanted to know how a person born and raised in Louisiana is now a French writer (that's too long of a story for one blogpost). It was enjoyable to share not only the story of how Axelle and Guilluame were created, but my own as well. Thanks to all who showed up!

Here's a picture after the presentation with a young reader…

 …and later, with one of my biggest fans!

Kids Euro Festival 2010

Dans le cadre du Kids Euro Festival, je présenterai mon livre "Combinaison gagnante" à la Maison Française, à l'Ambassade de France, 4101 Reservoir Road NW, Washington, DC. Cette présentation se termina par une séance dédicace pendant laquelle je me ferai un plaisir de rencontrer les jeunes lecteurs et leurs familles. 

À dimanche, 17 octobre, à 15h !

Combinaison gagnante! C'est aujourd'hui!

Mon premier livre, Combinaison gagnante, sort aujourd’hui même ! Écrit pour des enfants de 8 à 12 ans et publié par les Editions Talents Hauts, le livre fait partie de leur collection Livres et égaux. Il est illustré par Sébastien des Déserts.

Combinaison gagnante raconte l’histoire d’Axelle Blanchard, une fille de 12 ans originaire du Mans qui ne rêve que de devenir pilote de course ! Sa famille baigne dans la tradition du sport auto : son père était pilote de Formule 1, et ses deux frères s’entraînent pour perpétuer la tradition familiale. Évidemment, Axelle a envie de courir, comme tous les hommes de sa famille, malheureusement, ses parents s’y opposent : « Le sport auto, ce n’est pas pour les filles ».

Qu’à cela ne tienne. Avec Guillaume son frère qui, lui, aimerait bien être dispensé de s’entraîner pour la course, ils échangent leurs rôles jusqu'au moment où Axelle ne peut plus cacher sa vraie identité.

Que se passera-t-il quand les parents découvriront la ruse ? J’espère que votre curiosité est suffisamment piquée, et que vous lirez le livre qui est dès maintenant disponible en librairie et chez l’éditeur. Pour en savoir plus sur Axelle, sur les femmes et la Formule 1, sur comment j’en suis venue à écrire cette histoire, et sur mes projets d’écriture, visitez mon nouveau site.

Today's the day! Combinaison gagnante!

Today’s the day! My first book, Combinaison gagnante, is being released by Editions Talents Hauts. The book, written entirely in French for children ages eight to twelve, is part of their gender-equality collection Livres et égaux, and is illustrated by Sébastien des Deserts.

Combinaison gagnante is the story of Axelle Blanchard, a 12-year old girl from Le Mans who has big dreams – racing dreams. The Blanchard family is steeped in the tradition of automobile racing. Axelle’s father was a Formula 1 pilot, and her two older brothers are being groomed to take up his mantle. Naturally, Axelle wants to get into the act. Unfortunately, her parents are opposed to the idea of her getting involved in automobile sports… all because she’s a girl.

No matter. With some help from her brother Guillaume, who would rather be writing poetry than getting ready for the next race, Axelle is able to train and in an ingenious exchange of identities – Twelfth Night style – she races until she can no longer keep hidden her secret identity.

What happens when her parents discover the scheme? I’m hoping that your curiosity is sufficiently piqued, and that you will read and enjoy the book which is now available in Europe in bookstores or directly from the publisher, and soon to be available in bookstores and online in North America. To find out more about Axelle, about women in Formula 1, about how I came to write the book, and what future projects I’m working on, visit my new website.