Diversity Countdown: Sara Ryan's "Rules For Hearts"

Sara Ryan is the third panelist I'm highlighting in preparation for my panel discussion on diversity at the upcoming KidLitCon 2011 this upcoming Saturday September 17, 2011 - "Blogging Diversity: "Prejudice and Pride!"

Sara Ryan

She's the author of "Empress of the World" and "The Rules for Hearts" (both of which have places of honor on the book lists of this blog!) and a number of short stories and comics. (Her comic "Me and Edith Head" was an Eisner Award Finalist for Best Short Story!) She's a librarian (I LOVE librarians!) and she blogs at sararyan.com, sharing visual inspirations and moments of her author journey.

In "Empress of the World," Nicola, who goes by "Nic," spends the summer off at a program for gifted Teens. She thinks she's going to figure out her future - will she really choose to be an archaeologist? But what she is actually faced with figuring out turns out to be way more important: who she might be falling for (a girl named "Battle"), and what that means about who she is.

In "The Rules for Hearts," It's the summer before college, and Battle (who just broke up with Nicola from "Empress of the World") joins her newly found runaway older brother in a Portland co-op full of artsy, broke, theatrical and sexy gals and guys who are on their way to becoming Adults. Her roommate Meryl is alluring, her brother is frustrating, and there's a lot for Battle to discover about who she is and who her brother might be.

I love that Sara's characters and their relationships are at times playful, at times intense and always so deliciously complex.

And check this out - her comic book series "Flytrap" which she writes and other artists illustrate, are available for download from her website on the honor system:

"If you like the stories, donate via paypal."

Which is a pretty cool twist on using technology to get our stories out there.


I am delighted to have Sara on the Diversity Panel!

And now you know more about her and her books, too - and with three authors featured so far, it's a win-win-win!

Namaste,
Lee

Rules For Hearts, The

By Sara Ryan

It's the summer before college, and Battle (who just broke up with Nicola, the "Nic" from Sara's book "Empress of the World") joins her newly found runaway older brother in a Portland co-op full of artsy, broke, theatrical and sexy gals and guys who are on their way to becoming Adults.

Her roommate Meryl is alluring, her brother is frustrating, and there's a lot for Battle to discover about who she is and who her brother might be.

Add your review of this book in "comments!"

Empress of the World

By Sara Ryan

Nicola, who goes by "Nic," spends the summer off at a program for gifted Teens. She thinks she's going to figure out her future - will she really choose to be an archaeologist? But what she actual is faced with figuring out is even more important: who she might be falling for, and what that means about who she is.

"Empress of the World" was a 2002 Oregon Book Award winner, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award.

The tag-line for the book,

"Girls find kissing easier than talking,"

from the New York Public Library, is pretty amazing. And I love how Sara, on her website, comments:

"Words to live by, folks."

There's a "companion" book Sara published this year (2007) called "The Rules For Hearts."

Add your review of this book in "comments!"