Help! You're Trapped in Todd Strasser's Body

Kill You Last nominated for the 2012 Edgar!!!!!

2012-01-19T07:25:00.000-08:00

Kill You Last nominated for the 2012 Edgar (as in Poe) Award by the Mystery Writers of America

Competing against books by Harlen Coben and Maureen Johnson

http://www.theedgars.com/nominees.html#YA

Kill You Last .... Very Good Book List Review

2012-01-19T05:51:00.000-08:00

Advanced Review – Uncorrected Proof
Issue: February 1, 2012
Kill You Last.
Strasser, Todd (Author)

After three teenage girls go missing, the police and the media camp outside Shelby’s home, where her fashion-photographer dad had previously taken photos of the girls as part of his modeling business.

Everyone knows Dad is “borderline creepy” with young girls. Is his agency a scam? Is he the serial killer?

As in the best mysteries, the final revelation is both a total surprise and yet no surprise at all; how could Shelby––and the reader––have missed the prime suspect?

Nice WISH YOU WERE DEAD Review

2011-12-11T11:04:00.001-08:00

http://princessoflit.blogspot.com/2011/12/wish-you-were-dead-by-todd-strasser.html

My Review: I loved this book! Which is funny, because I hated the first Todd Strasser book I read, Famous...but whatever. It was exciting and fun to read, and I really liked the main character, Madison. She was sweet and simple---not too complicated and annoying. The plot was really intriguing and it even started to creep me out as it went on, which is good, because "creepy" books RARELY creep me out. It was a quick, fast read, and cut straight to the point. The short POVs from the killer were actually pretty scary! I'll admit, the end kind of let me down a LITTLE, because it wasn't as freaky as I thought it'd be...but it was freaky enough, for a teen thriller, and so I'm good.

Garrison School Visit 11/15/11

2011-11-16T04:12:00.001-08:00

Novelist Todd Strasser led energetic, engaging writing workshops with all of our Middle School English Language Arts classes today. His presentations today were described as "beyond fabulous!"

Now Available! Book #3 in the Thrillogy!

2011-11-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Shelby never imagined that her family would be thesubject of a police investigation, but that's what happens when three teenageclients of her fashion photographer father go missing. Shelby's seeminglyperfect life of hot sports cars, travel, and unlimited shopping trips crumbleswhen her dad is named a prime suspect in the girls' disappearance.

What's the connection between the missing girls andher father? Is he as innocent as he claims? Does the great-looking guy whoworks with her dad have anything to do with the threatening e-mails she's beenreceiving?

If I Grow Up on 2012 Louisiana Teen Reader List

2011-10-16T07:12:00.001-07:00

Unlike some state lists, this one only has ten books.

http://www.state.lib.la.us/ltrc2012/books.php?booknum=10

Sports, Muscles, and Body Hair

2011-10-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.amazon.com/Sports-Muscles-Body-Hair-ebook/dp/B005SFPZZC/ref=sr_1_58?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1317764072&sr=1-58

With the passage of time, what seemed so important in sixth grade became less so.

Nice British review of Blood on My Hands

2011-09-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

http://carlybennett.blogspot.com/2011/09/review-blood-on-my-hands-todd-strasser.html

Nice review of Wish You Were Dead

2011-09-22T09:50:00.000-07:00

http://www.karinsbooknook.com/2011/09/18/wish-you-were-dead-by-todd-strasser-review/

Winter Outdoor Popcorn Vendor

2011-09-21T06:32:00.001-07:00

The True Story of How I Met Bill Cosby, Joe Nameth, and Ali McGraw in One Winter Week While Selling Popcorn

It was the winter of 1970 and I had a week to kill in New York City. I spent it selling popcorn from a cart near the Plaza Hotel. It was a truly memorable experience.

On Kindle and Nook

A Heavy Lady to Dance With

2011-09-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

After spending several months hitchhiking around Europe in the early 1970s, I lived for a time on an abandoned sailing ship in a Copenhagen harbor while supporting myself as a street musician.

The memoir is now on Kindle and Nook.

Three Stories From My College Years

2011-09-14T06:38:00.001-07:00

I wrote these three pieces while I was a student at Beloit College in Wisconsin. They were the first three to be “professionally” published. The first two pieces are fiction. The third is non-fiction.

Looking for Tornadoes, and Inspiration was originally published in Spectrum, a literary magazine published by the University of Massachusetts.

Clap Trap was published in New Writers, a literary magazine published in New York City. Please note: this piece addresses a ‘mature subject,’ and is probably not appropriate for readers under the age of fourteen.

Encounter: ‘I Must Have Looked Frightened’ was published in a well-known newspaper nicknamed ‘The Gray Lady’ and sometimes referred to as ‘the newspaper of record.’

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Three-from-College-ebook/dp/B005MGTW1K/ref=sr_1_47?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1316007687&sr=1-47

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/three-from-college-todd-strasser/1105605831?ean=2940013344617&itm=16&usri=todd%2bstrasser

Blood on My Hands Nominated for 2012 Texas Tayshas List

2011-09-13T07:43:00.000-07:00

I believe this list is used by school libraries throughout Texas, so it involves a lot of schools.

The Return of Wordsworth

2011-09-12T04:08:00.001-07:00

Wordsworth, the lazy, loveable, talking Basset hound has come back to life in digital form!

These beginning chapter books for grades 1 - 3 are great bedtime read-alouds.

Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/Wordsworth-Cold-Cut-Catastrophe-ebook/dp/B005D9JKXQ/ref=sr_1_49?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1315825624&sr=1-49

Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wordsworth-and-the-cold-cut-catastrophe-todd-strasser/1003225922?ean=2940012779793&itm=6&usri=todd%2bstrasser

The Joy of Surfing

2011-09-02T06:24:00.000-07:00

I don't know him, but I'm told he lives around here. Long Beach is one of our closest breaks. This was shot as Irene approached. Please watch until the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1-KOej8gwU

Variety International Runs Story on German Give A Boy A Gun Movie

2011-08-16T12:19:00.000-07:00

Posted: Tue., Aug. 16, 2011, 8:47am PT

Gansel to adapt 'Give a Boy a Gun'

Pic based on Todd Strasser novel

By Ed Meza

Exclusive: BERLIN -- Dennis Gansel, who directed 2008 hit drama ''The Wave,'' is again turning to author Todd Strasser for his next film, ''Ich knall euch ab!''
Pic is based on Strasser's 2000 novel ''Give a Boy a Gun,'' about two troubled and heavily armed students who hold their classmates hostage at a high-school dance and target the jocks and teachers who tormented them. Pic is to be set in Germany.

Gansel's adaptation of Strasser's ''The Wave,'' which was also set in a German high school, became a major international hit for Constantin Film. With its exploration of teen violence, ''Ich knall euch ab!'' is seen as a thematic follow-up to that film.

Jan Berger, who penned Gansel's 2010 vampire thriller ''We Are the Night,'' also wrote the ''Give a Boy a Gun'' adaptation.

Christian Becker of Munich-based Rat Pack Filmproduktion is producing the pic, which is set to shoot in the second quarter of next year. Constantin Film will distribute domestically.

Gansel's recently finished ''The Year of the Snake'' for UFA Cinema. The political thriller, which stars Moritz Bleibtreu, Kasia Smutniak and Max Riemelt, follows a Berlin tabloid journalist who travels to Moscow and gets caught up in a web of intrigue and terrorism.

Universal is set to release ''The Year of the Snake'' in Germany later this year.

Contact Ed Meza at staff@variety.com

Blood on My Hands Nominated for Wyoming Award

2011-08-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

The 2011-2012 Wyoming Soaring Eagle Book Award for students in grades 7 - 12.

http://www.ccpls.org/html/soaringeagle.html

Short Interview With Todd: re Famous

2011-07-26T10:15:00.000-07:00

Todd Strasser talks to us about the insightful inspiration behind his latest novel, Famous. Read more at his website, www.toddstrasser.com.

What is your latest book about?

Famous is about several teenagers’ desire for fame at whatever cost is necessary. The central character, Jamie, is a teenage paparazzo who secretly wishes she was the one being photographed. When her dream comes true she sees a side of fame she never knew existed.

What inspired you to write it?

For many years, when I spoke at schools kids would ask how much money I earned and what kind of car I drove. Starting about ten years ago, the question, “Are you famous?” began to pop up just as often. When I spoke to kids, many said they wanted to be famous, but when I asked why, they didn’t actually know. Fame had become a goal the way previous generations wanted to be presidents, or actors, or sports stars.

How is eBook technology changing things for you as an author?

I’m thrilled with this technology because it has affored me the opportunity to revive many older out-of-print books which otherwise would have been lost to new readers. Now these books sell everyday on Kindle and Nook. Talk about a dream come true!

What advice do you have for other aspiring authors?

I think new authorshave an opportunity I never had. They can write a book, price it cheaply, and issue it as an eBook. It the democratization of book publishing because now the readers, not editors and sales people, can decide what should be read.

Todd Finally Gets the Last Laugh ... er, Chuckle

2011-07-08T04:28:00.001-07:00

New York City's local weekly paper runs a story on writers using the Upper East Side in their books. I'm pretty much last, but hopefully not least.

http://ourtownny.com/2011/07/06/reading-upper-east-side/#more-13570

Off to Montauk for July

2011-06-30T06:34:00.001-07:00

Lots of Todd's books now available on Nook and Kindle for $.99 to $2.99

Help! I'm Trapped books now on Nook and Kindle

2011-06-19T16:51:00.001-07:00

The first two books in the 17 - book Help! I'm Trapped in ... series

are now available digitally.

The Diving Bell is now on Kindle

2011-06-15T04:27:00.000-07:00

Culca wants to be a diver like her brother and the other young men in her village, but it's not proper for young women in her tribe to dive. When the Spanish kidnap the village's divers and take them to dive for gold at impossible depths, Culca knows she must try to save them. She'll find a way to help her brother, or die trying.

"Here is history, adventure, excitement, and a strong heroine all in one setting. What more can a reader ask for?" -- VOYA

http://www.amazon.com/The-Diving-Bell-ebook/dp/B0055WY6H6/ref=sr_1_26?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1308137046&sr=1-26

Kill You Last ..... UK Cover

2011-06-02T08:47:00.001-07:00

This UK covers have been great. Here are the other two:

The Great Digital Opportunity

2011-06-01T04:27:00.000-07:00

Some writers see the Kindle and the other reading tablets as a place to dust off and sell out-of-print books. But to me one unexpected opportunity offered by the new digital book universe is the chance to go back and rewrite and revise an older book. Before now it would not have made sense to rewrite an out-of-print book. After all, who would read it? But now I feel like I can give these works a new life. It's really exciting.

Cool New Trailer for Drift-X

2011-05-26T04:14:00.000-07:00

Kids are doing cool trailers as school projects. This one comes from Texas with lots of tire smoke and music.

http://animoto.com/play/ori51j1jU3sGlosg3o5adA?utm_content=main_link

Abe Lincoln is in My Bathroom

2011-05-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

In a way, this is a little dream come true. I wrote this book nearly 20 years ago and wanted to use this title, but certain editors thought it inappropriate -- for reasons I couldn't fathom -- and published it with a different title. Thanks to the wonders of scanning and Kindle, here is a revised and updated version with the title it should have had in the first place.

http://www.amazon.com/Abe-Lincoln-My-Bathroom-ebook/dp/B0050ITKDK/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1305227083&sr=1-24

The Accident Is Now Available on Kindle

2011-04-30T09:36:00.000-07:00

Todd's first mystery, an award-winning who-done-it about a drunk driving accident.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Accident-ebook/dp/B004XWJ9C6/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1304181387&sr=1-21

Two New Interviews

2011-04-25T03:39:00.000-07:00

Two book sites have posted interviews with me today.

http://wordswimmer.blogspot.com/2011/04/one-writers-process-todd-strasser.html

http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2011/04/in-stores-this-week-with-interviews_25.html

ANGEL DUST BLUES is now available on Kindle

2011-04-20T05:17:00.001-07:00

My first novel, published in 1979, is now available on Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/Angel-Dust-Blues-ebook/dp/B004X8EKS8/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1303301664&sr=1-21

FAMOUS gets a good School Library Journal review!

2011-04-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Gr 8-11–At 14, Jamie Gordon took some photos of a model’s embarrassing moment and sold them to a tabloid, which led to her own first taste of fame. Now 16 and a professional paparazzo, she is in LA to document a week in the life of starlet Willow Twine. Jamie feels as if she and Willow are friends, and she considers staying there to focus her energy on becoming the “Annie Leibovitz of the LA young actor scene.” Her boyfriend, Nasim, is a complicating factor, and so is the mysterious lack of communication from Avy, a close friend and aspiring actor who ran away to LA eight months earlier. Then Jamie discovers six photos on her camera that could ruin Willow’s career–and send Jamie’s to new heights. Suspense about a man who is stalking Willow, what’s in those pictures, and who took them drives this fast-paced narrative. Chapters jump between various episodes in Jamie’s freshman and sophomore years, interwoven with emails to Nasim and dispatches from Avy’s ill-fated trip to Tijuana for plastic surgery. Paying attention to chapter headings is essential to track each thread of the story. Strasser is a serious name-dropper, but the underlying message about the cost of fame is a sobering one. The author, best known for grittier novels, shows impressive range here, though a subplot about Jamie’s disabled brother feels tacked on. Nonetheless, this book is likely to be snapped up and make a lasting impression on readers.–Amy Pickett, Ridley High School, Folsom, PA

My only quibble with the review (aside from the tacked on line about Jamie's brother) is that she calls be a serious name dropper. After all, it's a book about people thirsting for fame. Wouldn't it be out of character for them NOT to drop names?

Cool new trailer for Blood On My Hands

2011-04-18T04:30:00.001-07:00

The trailer is for the British version with a different cover, but the story remains the same.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS20AY7YQtk&feature=player_embedded

Another Good Review for FAMOUS

2011-04-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Jamie Gordon, recently dubbed “New York’s youngest paparazzo,” wants to become a professional celebrity photographer. When she lands the opportunity to spend a week living with teen megastar Willow Twine in L.A., photographing her and documenting her life, it’s a dream come true. Willow, recently out of rehab, is trying to salvage her damaged career, but is still partying. When Jamie finds photos that could make her career and ruin Willow’s, she is faced with the biggest decision of her life. Strasser has written a novel that exposes the magical lure of celebrity. He shows how even the most sought after truths often hide the darkest lies. Jamie is a fully believable character with whom readers will identify. Strasser presents a story about a young girl who wants to find fame, but the reader can see that she is sacrificing personal relationships to do so. The message is clear, but in a thoughtful rather than preachy way, as Jamie reflects on what she has learned. This is a good read that is taken from today’s celebrity headlines; it should surely hook teens looking for a good story that they can identify with. --Library Media Connection, May/June 2011

School Vists Update

2011-04-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Todd, Thanks so much for an amazing visit. I have heard great feedback from many students. I also want to thank you for the book reccommendations. My son Ty is nose deep in Holes. Thanks again for everything! Kendra Kendra Griffin, District 64 Elementary Learning Foundation, PO Box 114, Park Ridge, IL 60068 e-mail: griffins421@gmail.com

FAMOUS -- Five Star Review from Teen Reads

2011-04-10T06:31:00.001-07:00

http://www.teensreadtoo.com/FamousStrasser.html

Wish You Were Dead Nominated for 2012 Abraham Lincoln Illinois H.S. Book Award

2011-04-06T03:40:00.000-07:00

The award is sponsored by the Illinois School Library Media Association and was nominated by the students of Illinois.

Trailers for Give A Boy A Gun

2011-04-03T05:19:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGH7I2ayDA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWiIMoMJRys&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BajebVtXD6g&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyt3JiRmd3U&feature=related

Todd's First 3-Cent Joke Book -- Critter Kidders

2011-03-31T04:26:00.000-07:00

The least you can pay for a book on Amazon Kindle is 99 cents so I created this joke book with 33 jokes. These are some of my favorite jokes about four-legged and two-legged creatures because they make kids think as well as laugh.

http://www.amazon.com/Critter-Kidders-Todds-3-Cent-ebook/dp/B004UAZ042/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1301573747&sr=1-20

Trailers for BOOT CAMP

2011-03-28T04:50:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJwY10mvMX8&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07IWWY5IDag&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWjKrBjzP7A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qJqDt5UuSg&feature=related

A New Documentary Movie about The Wave

2011-03-24T05:37:00.001-07:00

A documentary about The Wave is being shown at film festivals around the country. Here's the trailer:

www.lessonplanmovie.com

Don't Get Caught in the Teachers' Lounge is now available on Kindle

2011-03-23T13:26:00.001-07:00

Kyle, Dusty and Wilson are at it again. This time they've discovered that the soda machine in the teachers' lounge has the WORLD'S CHEAPEST SODA! All they want to do is get their hands on some of it. But there's a rule that students are strictly forbidden from entering the teachers' lounge. Not that rules have ever stopped Kyle and his friends before.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004T5W550

Trailers For WISH YOU WERE DEAD

2011-03-21T14:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUgS86Nw1D0&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TJg_6GHMc8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGqzizmvmFI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCRXJ5nPboM

Don't Get Caught Driving the School Bus is now available on Kindle

2011-03-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Caught-Driving-School-ebook/dp/B004SJF87E/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1300625427&sr=1-16

Don't Get Caught In The Girls Locker Room is now available on KIndle

2011-03-18T09:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Caught-Girls-Locker-ebook/dp/B004RCNHHU/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1300466186&sr=1-16

My First Big Wave

2011-03-13T14:02:00.000-07:00

At the age of 52, I rode my first big wave ... by accident. The story of how it happened is now on Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/My-First-Big-Wave-ebook/dp/B004R9Q6LM/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1299850669&sr=1-16

Mal Pais Travelogue Now Available on Kindle

2011-03-09T05:15:00.000-08:00

As an experiment I combined and condensed the blogs from the January Costa Rica trip and put the resulting travelogue in the Kindle store for 99 cents. Will anyone actually pay to read it?

http://www.amazon.com/Mal-Pais-Costa-Rica-ebook/dp/B004R1Q1A6/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1299677427&sr=1-14

Q&A With Todd in the Hartford Examiner

2011-03-01T04:46:00.001-08:00

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3859-Hartford-Books-Examiner~y2010m2d12-Todd-Strasser

Why I Wrote Boot Camp

2011-02-24T04:02:00.000-08:00

Some of the research for Can’t Get There From Here involved speaking to homeless teens on New York’s lower east side. During one interview, a young woman mentioned that she’d run away from home when her parents had threatened to send her to a boot camp.

A short time later I read an article about “transporters,” professional kidnappers who parents hire to “grab” their children and “escort” them to boot camps. It sounded shockingly excessive, but I knew from my own experience as a teen that sometimes a young person can be so angry, rebellious, and out of control that it is impossible for a parent to force him (or her) into a car to take him somewhere he doesn't want to go. And probably impossible to keep him in that car/plane/train long enough to get him there.

But there was another aspect of boot camps that I found equally disturbing – the idea that until a child reaches the age of 18 he or she has no legal right to prevent parents from sending him or her away.

I do believe that in the vast majority of cases, sending a child to a boot camp is an act of utter parental desperation. Parents do it because they absolutely believe that it is the only avenue left to prevent a child from self-destructing, either from drug use or some other unlawful and dangerous activity. I have heard a number of stories about young people whose lives were turned around for the better after being sent to a boot camp. But, as I point out in the book, I have also read about young people who have died in such camps.

Among the many problems with boot camps is that most are run on a for-profit basis. In other words, their purpose is dual-fold: 1) To save young people from themselves and 2) To make money for their owners. Like a hotel, a boot camp has a certain number of beds it needs to fill to make this money. And also like a hotel, it can’t make money by turning people away.

So who can really judge who should be sent to a boot camp and who shouldn’t? Should a young woman be sent away because she insists on making “an unacceptable choice of boyfriends”? Should a young man be sent because he refuses to accept his parents’ choice of religions?

One thing I discovered during your research: there are plenty of boot camps that would accept both.

0 comments:

Starred Review for Give A Boy A Gun in Publishers Weekly

2011-02-21T05:36:00.000-08:00

No sure why PW decided to run this now, but they did give the book a starred review!

PW Review: GIVE A BOY A GUN

www.publishersweekly.com

Todd Strasser . S&S/Simon Pulse $4.99 (208p) ISBN 978-0-689-84893-3

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-689-84893-3

A Teacher from California Writes About If I Grow Up

2011-02-17T05:04:00.000-08:00

I stayed up into the late hours reading it; it is so compelling. Of course, as a teacher, I do believe that education is the way out of poverty and the gangbanger life. However, this book demonstrates the Herculean tasks of these inner city kids even getting to school and then trying to get a real education once they get to school. This inner city life is so chilling and painful. I had to keep reminding myself that this is America a couple of miles, in some cases blocks, from what most Americans consider "normal" life.

Every year I have students who want to read about gangs, and this book will surely go over well with them, but it is going to be a book all of my students are going to want to read. I hope that many, many teens read it and remember it so that this next generation will not turn their back on and ignore inner city people. The book really puts a human face on poverty. Every year I teach Dicken's A CHRISTMAS CAROL and refer back all year to the theme of ignorance. I repeat myself over and over again that problems cannot be solved if we don't know about the problem.

I am in awe of how [you are] able to write such passionate books about the most intense issues and put human faces on them and yet finds a way to bring in a little hope. [You]expose this issues in a way that teens (and everyone) can relate to and yet I could teach [your]books in an eighth grade class because [you don't] use profanity or explicit sex or violence and yet the books feel real.

Posted by Stephen at 2:34 PM

UK Cover for Wish You Were Dead

2011-02-13T05:27:00.001-08:00

Creepy good?

Why the Tardy Boys is NOT a Series

2011-02-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

There are five Tardy Boys books, but the Tardy Boys is not a series. This is not the first time I’ve written a not-a-series for readers in grades 3-5. I once wrote a 17-book not-a-series even though each book began with Help! I’m Trapped in… and the same characters appeared in each book.

When I asked my publisher why it wasn’t a series, I was told, “because the books aren’t numbered.”

I had to rewrite the first book in the Tardy Boys not-a-series about 150,000 times. Every time Ithough the book was done, my publisher would read it and tell me all the things that were wrong with it. For instance, originally I wanted to call the main characters the Pardy Boys, but my publisher said no because Pardy Boys implied something they didn’t feel was appropriate. I never found out exactly what.

The funny thing is that, while at the time I was pretty annoyed with my publisher’s seemingly arbitrary decisions, in retrospect I can see why they objected. Here is a VERY partial list

of the things my publisher said no to. Some I now agree with; some I still don’t.

1) Placing the Magic Toilet Bowl inside the Mysterious Toilet Stall at The School With No Name and sending the Pardy Boys back in time whenever they pulled a sheet from the Phantom Toilet Stall Dispenser.

2) Having the Pardy Boys travel back to the Revolutionary War to meet Timmy Meeker, Sarah Bishop, Johnny Tremain, and Willy Freeman.

3) Having Johnny Tremain put down Timmy Meeker because Johnny’s book won the Newbery Medal whi

le Timmy’s book only won a Newbery Honor, and having Timmy put down Sarah Bishop because her book only won something called the Hans Christian Andersen Award.

4) Having Timmy Meeker, Sarah Bishop, Johnny Tremain, and Willy Freeman all put down the Pardy Boys because their book was only a paperback original and never won a single award.

5) Having the Pardy Boys have the last laugh because Timmy Meeker, Sarah Bishop, Johnny Tremain, and Willy Freeman were stuck using chamber pots until they realized that they were stuck using chamber pots, too because it would be 97 years later when Dr. Thomas Crapper (this is no joke, that was his real name) invented the flush toilet.

9) How the Germans say no.

If I ever write a series for middle-grade students again, I’ll probably have the same sorts of disagreements, but next time I’ll keep in mind that given some perspective, things we think are funny might not always be that way.

School Visit News

2011-02-05T15:53:00.001-08:00

Dear Todd,

Thank you so much for your wonderful presentations at Derby last Wednesday. I've had terrific feedback from both teachers and students. The Writing Workshops were both practical and inspiring. Connie Chapin, our 6th grade English teacher (and Head of the English Department) was very impressed with how you related to the 6th graders at exactly the right level for them. The large presentations in Larson Hall were funny, informative and perfectly tailored to each of the groups you were addressing. I loved the way you mentioned books that you enjoy, written by other writers. I've had lots of requests from students, teachers and even a parent, for the titles that you mentioned.

Thanks again for a great visit! Your books are flying off theshelves--always the best sign that the visit was a huge success.

Best regards,Judy

Judy Simons
Coordinator of Library Services
Derby Academy
56 Burditt Ave., Hingham, MA 02043
781-749-0746 ext. 57

German Graphic Novel of Can't Get There From Here

2011-01-31T17:54:00.000-08:00

From Germany comes news that their version of Can't Get There From Here (German title: Asphalt Tribe) is now a graphic novel. The artist, Stefani Kampmann, worked on it for something like two years and did a meticulous job. Bravo, Stefani!

FAMOUS is Now Available

2011-01-28T04:30:00.001-08:00

Suppose I told you that I was once famous. People on the street recognized me. They asked for my autograph, and to pose for photos with them. Suppose I told you that there were stories about me in magazines and newspapers, and interviews on TV. Suppose I told you I rode in limos, flew first class, and hung out with movie stars. Cool, huh? Being famous like that. All that attention. All those people knowing who I was. I mean, can you imagine? Only whatever you imagine, is so not the way it really is.

FAMOUS in Vietnam

2011-01-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

With the official US pub date still five days away, FAMOUS has garnered its first translation deal ... in Vietnamese.

School Visit Update

2011-01-15T07:39:00.000-08:00

"Your visit was wonderful. Our students were so engaged and are still talking about you and your books. The teachers who attended your writing workshop loved your approach and decided to use some of your techniques in their classes. As usual, you were able to connect with our students and captivate their attention with your humor and inspiration. Our students felt very comfortable with you and even our reluctant readers continue to come to the library seeking your books. We thank you again for a very special day that was both informative and fun." Rosemarie Scutero, Literacy Resource Specialist, Louis M. Klein Middle School, Harrison, NY (914) 630-3059, scuteror@harrisoncsd.org

WISH and BLOOD Named ALA Quick Picks!

2011-01-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

From the American Library Association comes news that WISH YOU WERE DEAD and BLOOD ON MY HANDS have been named to the 2011 "Quick Picks list, presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting suggesting books that teens, ages 12-18, will pick up on their own and read for pleasure."

In addition, the trade paperback of IF I GROW UP has now gone into a fourth edition.

Mal Pais Journal #5

2011-01-10T06:12:00.000-08:00

Having not had enough room to pack Geoff’s 8 ½ foot Al Merrick, John’s 9 foot Rusty, and my 9 ½ foot Donald Takayama boards for the trip, I have been forced to temporarily rent a seriously inferior plastic Bic board. I did find a much better rental board down the road in Santa Theresa in an establishment that is half coffee shop, half surfboard rental. The problem, I’ve been told by Dwayne (who runs the coffee shop) is that yesterday and today the young man who is in charge board rentals has chosen not to come to work. Dwayne took today off to move himself to a new apartment.

On the subject of surfboards, one visual diversion is to observe the entertaining means by which locals try to transport them, especially when bicycles and scooters are involved. Some enterprising young surfers have welded surf racks to the sides of bicycles, but more often bike riders steer with one hand and hold the (short) board with the other. Things get more creative on scooters and smaller motorcycles when there are two passengers and two boards. One configuration has the driver driving and the passenger sitting behind holding a board under each arm. But last night we saw two young men on a motorbike with the passenger balancing two long boards on their heads. Seemed fraught with potential disaster, but this morning on the road we did not find any broken boards, so perhaps they made it to wherever they were going.

Update: Was able to get the board I wanted and John and I had a wonderful Sunday morning session, probably the best in many years with each of us getting several very long rights and slightly shorter but still excellent lefts on large, glassy waves. We also both got pounded hard when we missed, but that’s surfing.

We ate at a wonderful smoke-filled open-air Argentinean restaurant with an open hearth last night. The grill was an old bed spring. Like most local establishments the roof was corrugated metal. Rather than employing a tradition chimney, smoke from the hearth was allowed to rise to the roof and then funnel out of openings at either end. The crowd was mostly Americans, Europeans and South Americans..

Later, we walked back along the road, headlights, dogs, and couples on motorbikes coming out of the dusty dark like specters out of a mist – a reminder that we were nowhere near home. Sometimes it’s good to be far, far away.

Mal Pais Journal #4

2011-01-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Finding the surfing still uninviting this morning we jumped into the car and headed north to Playa Hermosa, a vast, flat mostly uninhabited sand beach where the surf was much better – overhead sets coming in every three or four minutes -- and we were able to paddle through the waves to the outside of the break from where we could catch a few waves. Unfortunately the waves jacked up fast, more suitable for short boarding than long boarding, and we spent more time below the waves then on them. But, as always when you’re in Costa Rica, it was good to be in the water. Even the dreadlocked young man who took off near me and snapped his short board in half seemed relatively unperturbed. He’d come prepared and had another board in his car.

The road north from Santa Theresa is unpaved dirt with craterlike potholes and ridges deep enough to repeatedly leave an impression on our car’s undercarriage, but I found both the dust and bumpy ride oddly reassuring. Telecommunications and the Internet may (now and then) reach Mal Pais, but many of the rest of society’s comforts, such as paved roads, has not. In addition to cars and trucks, much of the traffic – yes there is some of that – comes in the form of small motorcycles, bicycles and ATVs, often ridden by young men and women wearing ski goggles and either bandanas or painter’s masks covering their noses and mouths.

The clouds of light brown dust settle on everything near the road. Cars and car windows are covered with it, and using the windshield washers only makes it worse, creating – when sun dried -- an opaque brown cement which requires hammer and chisel to remove. Here at The Place most horizontal surfaces are wiped down at least twice a day. In the morning when coffee is available, the little pitchers of cream are covered with plastic wrap except for the very tip of the spout, as are the otherwise open bowls of sugar. While here I thumb my nose at Pledge and other dust-removal products.

As we encounter more and more exotic flora, fauna, and geology, one wonders how long it will be before we can take a photo of some mysterious creature, plant, or mineral with our cell phones and receive instant identification. The information will soon be instantaneous, but we will lose the conditioning to research. In the future I wonder if Internet failures will be considered major disasters comparable to hurricanes and earthquakes. Maybe they already are.

Mal Pais Journal #3

2011-01-08T08:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday John, Marni, Geoff and I took a long walk down the beach in the late afternoon while Bob and Mary, who together have run the Glenwood Spings, CO., Summer of Jazz festival for the past 25 years, stayed by the water’s edge. Bob wanted to watch the few surfers who were able to reach the rideable waves 200 yards off shore, while Mary brought her acrylics to do some painting.

Walking south on the Mal Pais side we passed the flat dark gray area of rock that appears to be lava flow. It’s hard to imagine what else it could be, as it is as broad as several football fields and at some points stretches 100 yards off shore. At high tide this huge shelf is submerged, but at low tide it is above the sea level and here and there are small, deep pockets of sun-warmed sea water that people use as natural hot tubs, sans Jacuzzi.

On the way back we were all treated to a stunning Costa Rican sunset of yellows, oranges, pinks and purples that Mary deftly captured on a small canvas. Later, while having a pre-dinner drink in the villa John shares with Marni, the lights flickered and went out briefly. Yesterday there was no phone service in the morning and no Internet access for most of the day. And still no access this morning.

We are all sorry that we forgot to bring a birding book. In the early morning the air is filled with the chirps, jabber, calls and songs of dozens of large and small birds who share the trees with light reddish-brown squirrels that have a thick strip of black running down their backs from head to tail.

This morning at 6 when John, Bob, and I walked down to the beach to assess the waves (sadly, even more disorganized and frenetic than yesterday) we heard the distant groaning howl of a howler monkey. The mating call (if that’s what it is) of this creature sounds like such agony that you wonder why he even bothers (both with the call and the follow through).

In the absence of surfing I think I’ll go for another walk. Have to check my shoes for scorpions before I put them on.

Mal Pais Journal #2

2011-01-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Geoff and I finally attempted to surf, but the results were dismal. The surf was pumping, waves coming in, well … waves, with barely seconds of interval. Thus, by the time you fought through the first one, another followed almost immediately, usually succeeding in washing you back toward the beach and erasing whatever meager progress you’d made toward a wave you could ride. After fighting through the surf on our long boards and barely getting anywhere, we turned and rode white-water, which is sort of comparable to surfing in a washing machine.

At breakfast this morning we were visited by Igor the Iguana, a vertically-striped four footer who pokes his nose out over the edge of the roof and watches us. Periodically Igor puffs out a baseball-size sack in his neck and nods his spiny head vigorously as if agreeing with whatever we’re saying, but John thinks this is aggressive male mating behavior aimed at any nearby Ivana Iguanas who might be interested in the scent of his prehistoric phermones.

When Igor gets particularly excited he scampers over the corrugated metal roof, making a racket reminiscent of the New York City subways. The first time you hear it, it’s a bit of a jolt.

I was disappointed this morning to discover that my favorite rundown beachside fried fish shack on the Mal Pais side of us has been torn down and replaced with the small shanty town built of the aforementioned corrugated metal sheeting. At seven this morning babies were crying and several men reeking of eau de alcohol were scavenging around the edge of the beach for the dry driftwood required to keep the home fires burning. It is somewhat incongruous to think that some of the poorest Costa Ricans live on some of the most beautiful shoreline on earth ( I admit that I’m perversely delighted that they have access to such beauty to counterbalance their otherwise dismal living conditions).

Another slightly disconcerting aspect of any visit to Mal Pais is that, with the exception of Geoff, our party is composed of beings whose average age is surely 30 years older that the average age of just about everyone else in town. Continuing a trend that I’ve noticed for years, numerous young Caucasians of both sexes, who trek about in torn cutoffs and lug backpacks, wear their fair hair in high maintenance dreadlocks. There is also a large cohort of muscular skinny tattooed young men who seem to go everywhere with pointed white slivers of fiberglass half the length and thickness of our boards, but with which they somehow perform mind-boggling ballets (when the surf is good) on the green blue faces of waves. And an equal cohort of thin tattooed young women who, even in this liberated age, tend to sit on the beaching taking the sun and watching.

Even among the locals who work in the shops, restaurants, and small resorts, the average age is just barely post pubescent. In past years, before the gas station on the edge of town had an actual pump, our gasoline would be delivered to our car by young boys lugging plastic jugs from a large above-ground tank. One wonders where the elder Costa Ricans, and by this I mean those in their forties and up, go after their time here.

Internet down again. So this will be posted when and if CRSTC manages to get its act together.

Mal Pais, Costa Rica #1

2011-01-05T12:16:00.000-08:00

After meeting Bob and Mary at the San Jose airport around 2 PM yesterday, we drove to Puntarenas where we missed the 4 PM ferry to Paquera by a few minutes and settled into a local eatery for fresh fish, beans and rice, then caught the 5:30 ferry and enjoyed a lovely sunset while aboard. My guess is that because we’re near the equator, viewing the sunset from the 5:30 is a regular sunset cruise. The ride from Paquera west was the typical shoulderless washboard dirt road, and we were incased in a never-ending cloud of light brown dust created by the cars ahead of us as we snaked through the semi jungle along the bottom of the Nicoya Peninsula.

Upon arriving dusty and hungry, we settled at the bar at The Place for a nightcap, which expanded into nachos, pasta, and an omlet, and chatted with some young folks from New York who are staying here for a few days before driving up to Tamarindo (Lord help them). Amid stars a plenty in the the black night sky came the steady roar of the surf -- ironically loud enough to be a portentous omen for surfing -- and went to sleep.

John and I woke early this morning and walked down to the beach where our concerns regarding the surf came true. The waves weren’t prohibitively large, but were coming in so rapidly that a mist of pulverized ocean water hung over the beach and ocean, and we deduced that the amount of effort required to paddle through the surf to the rideable waves 200 yards off shore would leave us illequipped to enjoy whatever rides we might be able to catch.

Back at The Place, John returned to bed and I set off down the beach in search of exercise and shells, and was rewarded on both accounts. At 7 AM the sun was already strong and I quickly worked up a sweat while finding a very nice orange cone shell, a good-size purple cowry, a barracuda mandible complete with half a dozen pointy teeth, and the rare pink plastic baby doll leg.

Back at The Place I joined the group for breakfast, serenaded by various birds including two gorgeous green parrots with bright red patches on their wings. In attendance are John, Marni, Bob, Mary, Geoff and myself.

This post will be sent if and when CRSTC (Costa Rica Sporadic Telecom) provides the requisite daily dose of connectivitity.

Two Books Chosen for Der Leserpreis

2010-12-03T04:56:00.000-08:00

Der Leserpreis is one of the largest audience book awards in the German-speaking area. This year Wish U Were Dead has been nominated in the young adult category and Fame Junkies in the audiobook category.

Wish You Were Dead Named to Tayshas Reading List

2010-11-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

The Tayshas list is produced by the Texas Library Association. The books on it are recommended for reading by Texas teens. But unlike the other state nominations, I don't think they vote on their favorite.

Wyoming Update

2010-11-17T11:47:00.000-08:00

Drove down to Wright this morning to visit the junior high there. Passing endless miles of yellow prairie grass, a herd of grazing bison, and an enormous coal strip mine. Some teachers and students here come from so far away that they board in housing built beside the school all week and go home on the weekends.

Later, back at the Gillette public library, I couldn't help noticing some of the more Wyoming-centric titles: Good Snakekeeping, Understanding Lameness (in horses), and Cost Effective Welding.

A Week in Gillette Wyoming

2010-11-15T17:46:00.001-08:00

I'm spending the week in the clean coal capital, speaking in schools. Yesterday my hosts Sue and Cliff were kind enough to drive me out to the Black Hills to visit Devil's Tower (Sorry it's sideways. I'm the tiny red dot at the bottom.)

Here in northeast Wyoming it's rolling hills, sagebrush and cattle grazing land for as far as the eye can see, mile-long coal trains, pick up trucks, and lots of sky. Devil's Tower is massive. 1,280 feet high (The Empire State Building is 1,250). An extraordinary-looking monolith (figuring significantly in Close Encounters of the Third Kind).

The school kids are fun and funny. Some camoflage clothing, but lots of hoodies, torn jeans, and sneakers, too. Today the girls were telling me how they ride their horses up to the drive-thru window at McDonald's.

If I Grow Up Now In 4th Hardcover Edition

2010-11-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

The paperback has been out for quite some time, so it's gratifying to see that the hardcover is still selling.

Boot Camp Nominated for Virginia Young Readers Award

2010-11-02T10:12:00.000-07:00

It's basically the same idea as the other state awards. Students will choose their favorite from a list of about ten recently published books. In addition to Virginia, Boot Camp has been nominated in Illinois, Georgia, and Iowa.

If I Grow Up Nominated For Gateway Readers Award

2010-10-28T07:49:00.000-07:00

The winner of the annual Gateway Readers Award is selected by Missouri students in grades nine through twelve. If I Grow Up has also been nominated for readers awards in North Carolina and Kentucky.

Wish You Were Dead Nominated for the Sakura Medal

2010-10-02T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Sakura Medal program brings together students from 17 international schools across Japan each year to vote for their favorite books.

First Review for Blood on My Hands

2010-09-28T12:25:00.001-07:00

From Booklist:

On the first page, Katherine lies dead at Callie's feet. What follows is a Fugitive-like mystery with plenty of disguises, double crosses, and red herrings; a race against time; and enough love triangles to do a daytime soap proud. Callie knows she didn’t kill Katherine and is determined to find out who did before the authorities find her. Although Katherine was much loved and much reviled, who could have hated her enough to kill her? And who hated Callie enough to frame her for it? Assisted in her getaway and hiding by Slade, the steadfast boyfriend Katherine forced Callie to dump while he was away at basic training, Callie works all the leads she can find. Although the final resolution may feel like a bit of a “gotcha,” this is a rare teen thriller with an actual mystery that is as quickly paced as it is heart wrenching.

— Heather Booth

Blood on My Hands

2010-09-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

NOW IN STORES

In the dark woods behind the baseball dugout, I'm kneeling next to Katherine's body, my emotions reeling crazily at the sight on the ground before me. Katherine is lying on her side, curled up, as if she was cowering from whoever attacked her. Her body is still warm, but there's no pulse. And that means she's dead. Dead! I can't believe this is happening, that I've just touched a dead person, someone I know, someone my own age.

Someone... who's just been murdered.

The Bible ... According to Common Sense Media

2010-08-30T04:49:00.000-07:00

Of the many thousands of books reviewed by CSM, I guess it should come as no surprise that The Bible seems to have been overlooked. So I thought I'd provide some insight as to why.

Let's look at this line from the Book of Genesis:

"And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived."

According to CSM's system of icons this line would undoubtedly earn one big #! for "more extreme swearing suggested by substitutions."

I could continue giving out numerous bombs for violence, lips for sex, #! for [suggested] language, and martini glasses for drinking, but it is not my intention antagonize anyone who happens to read this blog (unless they work for CSM). Rather I am simply trying to point out the absurdity of reducing literature to a system of icons based on random sentences taken out of context, and on the subjective interpretations of amateur reviewers.

Letter to Common Sense Media

2010-08-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

8/29/10

Ms. Elizabeth Perle Editor in Chief Common Sense Media 650 Townsend Suite 375 San Francisco, CA 94103

Dear Ms. Perle,

It has come to my attention that a reviewer for your company, Common Sense Media, gave my book Give A Boy A Gun a three #! rating for "mild to moderate [language] with more extreme swearing suggested by substitutions.”

I was not aware that I had used substitutions to suggest more extreme swearing, and am greatly concerned by it. Would it be possible for you to contact this reviewer to find out where in my book she felt these substitutions were used, and which extreme swears she felt I meant to use, so that I can avoid using such substitutions in the future?

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Todd Strasser

Wish You Were Dead ... Now Available in Paperback

2010-08-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

The trade edition of WYWD has just been released.

Also, the Humble, TX TLF has been cancelled (see last two posts). I'm sorry about that, as I was eager to go down there and point out that I'm pretty sure the United States Constitution was not meant to be a menu from which we could pick and choose the rights we wished to embrace while ignoring the others.

So if people want to enjoy the right to bear arms thanks to the 2nd Amendment, I think it's only right that they should respect the 1st Amendment as well.

Also, as I heard from a newspaper reporter from Humble, some people claim that Ellen Hopkin's 1 st Amendment rights were not violated because her books are still on the shelves, but I have to disagree. She was invited to speak at the TLF, then disinvited specifically because of the content in her books. To me that's a clear violation of her freedom of speech.

Finally, as I told the reporter, my biggest worry now is that next year, just to play it safe, the TLF will feature Pat the Bunny, and similar milquetoast.

Censorship For Fun and Profit

2010-08-21T16:25:00.000-07:00

By way of Pat Scales comes news that Give A Boy A Gun has been rated by a company calling itself Common Sense Media, whose slogan could easily be "Why waste your time censoring when we can do it for you?"

For a fee CSM will come to your home or library and "rate" your books, letting you know which you can keep out when company comes, which you should hide, and which you should immediately use for roasting marshmallows.

...

Okay, they don't really do that because it would require leaving the cave.

...

But their service does extend beyond those who do not wish to read books themselves -- to those who have never quite mastered literacy in the first place.

By using a highly sophisticated system of icons (bombs for violence, lips for sex, #! for language, and martini glasses for drinking, drugs, and smoking) CSM makes it possible for even the illiterate to find out just how "juicy" those darn books are.

I was particularly interested in the three #! rating given to Give A Boy A Gun for "mild to moderate [language] with more extreme swearing suggested by substitutions."

Apparently, one no longer even has to use "extreme swearing" (whatever that is) to be subjected to censorship. You only have to use words that "suggest" it.

For instance, if a fly comes in the house and I say, "Get the fly out," the clairvoyant raters at CSM would assume that I'm really suggesting the use of "extreme swearing," right?

The job description at CSM might read something like this: "Applicants must be telepathic and have dirty minds."

Since I myself was not aware that I was suggesting the "extreme swearing" they say I used "substitutions" for, I've decided to write to the company to find out:

Dear Common Sense Media,

It has come to my attention that your company has decided that in my book Give A Boy A Gun I used substitutions to suggest extreme swearing. I hope that, at your convenience, you will send me the list of extreme swears that you felt I meant to use, so that I may endeavour to familiarize myself with them for future inclusion in my works.

Sincerely,

Todd Strasser

PS. I'm also curious to know just how vast is the range between mild and moderate?

Freedom of Speech

2010-08-19T04:20:00.000-07:00

Despite our country’s current travails, I think most of us would agree that the United States continues to be the best place in the world to live. Surely one of the reasons for this can be found in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gives us the freedom to express ourselves without fear of repercussion.

Recently this has become an issue in Humble, Texas where I, and a number of other writers, have been invited to appear at the Teen Literary Festival in January. One of the writers, Ellen Hopkins, was invited, and then “disinvited” by a school superintendent after a librarian and some parents expressed concern about her books.

Ellen is a New York Times bestselling author, a National Book Award nominee, and winner of numerous other awards. Her book Crank is about the dangers of methamphetamine. Earlier this year I read Methland by Nick Reding and was reminded that meth is a life- and family-destroying drug that has ravaged entire towns in the Midwest. Both books present important anti-drug messages, especially for teens since they are probably among the most likely to try the drug.

It’s not hard to guess why some parents in Humble might be uncomfortable with Ellen’s books, but they always have the option of not allowing their children to attend the festival. It is more difficult to understand why a librarian, of all people, would side with them. And it is rather remarkable that a school superintendent – someone who actually oversees the teaching of the United States Constitution in schools – would go so far as to “disinvite” an author.

A number of the invited authors, including Pete Hautman, who wrote the wonderful book godless, which did indeed win the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, have decided to protest the Humble TFL’s action by boycotting the festival. But after considerable thought on the subject, I believe we should all attend.

Inviting, and then disinviting Ellen was wrong. Denying freedom of expression is wrong. Practicing any form of censorship is wrong. But it seems to me that boycotting the event is misguided. Why? Because it’s exactly what those in Humble who practice censorship want.

If they don’t want Ellen there, then it stands to reason that they don’t want anyone who supports Ellen, either. Isn’t any author who boycotts the festival essentially practicing self-censorship? Isn’t he or she basically saying, “You people seek to deny freedom of expression. Therefore I will not come to Humble and express myself.”

The people in Humble who don’t want Ellen there are probably thinking, “Thank God.”

Therefore I would ask the boycotting writers to reconsider and join me. Those in Humble who are fighting for free speech need our support. I would urge all the invited writers to come to the TLF, where we can express ourselves loudly and clearly – on the topic of censorship.

Thrillogy Update

2010-08-10T12:58:00.001-07:00

Egmont wanted more blood on hand. Wish You Were Dead trade paperback goes on sale on Aug. 24.

If I Grow Up now in second trade paperback edition

2010-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

The trade paperback (a larger format than the mass market paperbacks you usually find in racks) has just gone into its second printing. I suspect this has something to do with the state awards it's been nominated for.

Boot Camp Nominated for the Iowa High School Book Award

2010-07-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

When they're not fighting floods, Iowans read. They're good people. Once, many years ago, I found myself staying for a week in a motel in a tiny town (with only one restaurant that was only open on Wednesdays and Friday-Sunday). Each morning I would be picked up and delivered to a different school, then returned in the afternoon. When the owner of the motel discovered I had no car of my own, he offered me his and I drove to the movie house (also only open a few nights a week) and saw Little Shop of Horrors. On another evening he and his wife took me over to the Mississippi to watch the barges go through the locks.

New ARCs

2010-07-23T08:49:00.001-07:00

Advance reviewer copies have arrived from Simon & Schuster (Famous, pub date Jan. 2011) and Egmont (Blood on My Hands, pub date Sept. 2010).

If I Grow Up nominated for North Carolina YA book award

2010-06-27T10:24:00.001-07:00

If I Grow Up has been chosen as one of the titles nominated for the North Carolina School Library Media AssociationYoung Adult book Award for 2011. The book will be read by students across the state who will then participate in the selection of the "Best Book" by voting on their favorite title.

Wish U Were Dead is now available in the German edition

2010-06-22T06:57:00.000-07:00

Now available in German-speaking countries. I wonder if the cover means Morton Rhue is writing as Todd Strasser.

Wish You Were Dead Named to VOYA 2010 Summer Reading List

2010-06-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

The announcement is in the June issue. Also in the issue is an article about evil, which they asked me to write. It brought back memories of the summer of 1975 and a ferocious mechanical shark named Bruce.

School Visits Update

2010-05-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

"Your visit in March was wonderful. Our students were so engaged and are still talking about you and your books. The teachers who attended your writing workshop loved your approach and decided to use some of your techniques in their classes. As usual, you were able to connect with our students and captivate their attention with your humor and inspiration. Our students felt very comfortable with you and even our reluctant readers continue to come to the library seeking your books. We thank you again for a very special day that was both informative and fun." (March, 2010) Rosemarie Scutero, Literacy Resource Specialist, Louis M. Klein Middle School, Harrison, NY (914) 630-3059, scuteror@harrisoncsd.org

Awards for If I Grow Up and Boot Camp

2010-05-27T13:40:00.000-07:00

In the process of updating my web page I discovered a couple of awards that I neglected to post. In January of this year If I Grow Up was selected for Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2010, a cooperative project of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children's Book Council.

In March Boot Camp was placed on the final reading list for the 2011 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award.

If I Grow Up selected for Kentucky Bluegrass Master List

2010-04-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

Via their schools and public libraries, students in Kentucky will read nominated titles and select a Kentucky Bluegrass Award winner. Last year more than 30,000 students in the state participated.

The master list states inaccurately that the book was published by Little, Brown. It was actually published by Simon & Schuster.

Wish You Were Dead selected for Stuff for the Teen Age

2010-03-21T11:57:00.000-07:00

For 80 years, New York Public Library staff shared the best titles for teens in an annual list called Books for the Teen Age.

Last year, Books for the Teen Age became Stuff for the Teen Age, a multimedia, multi-format, targeted, and teen-tested list of the best of the year in teen books, music, graphic novels, movies, games, and more.

If I Grow Up -- recent developments

2010-03-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

The hardcover of If I Grow Up is now in its third printing, and Simon & Schuster has just released a trade paperback edition (on left) here in the US, and a mass market paperback in the UK.

Q&A With Todd in the Hartford Examiner

2010-02-12T06:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-3859-Hartford-Books-Examiner~y2010m2d12-Todd-Strasser

Can't Get There From Here named to 2010 ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults List

2010-01-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/popularpaperback/popularpaperbacks.cfm.

"Hard Knock Life" category

A Stunning Book About Lives Wasted in War

2009-12-23T04:24:00.000-08:00

After reading this book I cannot help but believe that no matter what President Obama thinks the goal or purpose of sending young men and women to die in the Middle East (I like Obama a lot, and I'm sure he believes he has good reason for sending them, but that doesn't make it right) is, these wars are not justifiable in terms of the young lives sacrificed.

A Nice Article From the International Thriller Writers

2009-11-29T07:25:00.000-08:00

http://www.thrillerwriters.org/2009/10/wish-you-were-dead-by-todd-strasser.html

Coolest Wish You Were Dead trailer yet!

2009-11-18T04:42:00.001-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUgS86Nw1D0&feature=player_embedded

Extra! Extra! Gannett Talks Todd Up; NYTimes Puts Him Down?

2009-11-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Is this a case of what goes up must come down? Or am I being overly sensitive?

http://www.lohud.com/article/20091031/LIFESTYLE01/910310304/1305/LIFESTYLE/Thrills%20and%20chills%20from%20a%20Larchmont%20author

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/nyregion/08bookwe.html?emc=eta1

Why We Do School Visits

2009-10-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

For many reasons, not the least of which is a letter like this:

Dear Todd,

Thank you so much for your wonderful presentations at Derby last Wednesday. I've had terrific feedback from both teachers and students. The Writing Workshops were both practical and inspiring. Connie Chapin, our 6th grade English teacher (and Head of the English Department) was very impressed with how you related to the 6th graders at exactly the right level for them. The large presentations in Larson Hall were funny, informative and perfectly tailored to each of the groups you were addressing. I loved the way you mentioned books that you enjoy, written by other writers. I've had lots of requests from students, teachers and even a parent, for the titles that you mentioned.

Thanks again for a great visit! Your books are flying off theshelves--always the best sign that the visit was a huge success.

Best regards,Judy

Judy Simons
Coordinator of Library Services
Derby Academy
56 Burditt Ave., Hingham, MA 02043
781-749-0746 ext. 57

Petra and Pia Come for a Visit

2009-10-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

My German editor Petra and her husband Joe and daughter Pia are living in Boston this fall. Joe had to go back to Germany on business so Petra brought Pia down here for a visit. We’ve taken walks, talked about books, and yesterday went to New York to meet Anne C. Voorhoeve, another one of Petra’s authors who was on her way back to Germany from a reading tour in Canada.

Anne is the author of, among other books, Liverpool Street, a fictionalized account of the Kindertransport rescue mission of 1938, when about 1,000 mostly Jewish children were sent from Nazi Germany to Britain. Many of the children were placed in foster care, but not all. Some as young of 14 found themselves completely alone, and unable to speak English, in London. Liverpool Street will be published in English by Penguin in 2011.

Imagine what it must have been like to be the parents of these children, putting them on a train in Germany, knowing there was a very good possibility that they would never see them again. I can’t fathom how the parents could summon the strength to do it.

It is shameful now to think that senior American officials apparently knew what was happening in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and did nothing to prevent the slaughter. (See The Abandonment of the Jews by David S. Wyman)

Petra, Pia, Anne, and I went to Central Park where we saw the Zen giant bubble man.

Then we joined Lia for dinner in a very small and tightly packed restaurant where we had to chain Lia’s bike and Pia’s stroller to a grate outside.

WYWD is Featured in Barnes & Noble Mystery Month

2009-10-07T14:47:00.000-07:00

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Wish-You-Were-Dead/Todd-Strasser/e/9781606840078/?cds2Pid=30109

He Will Be Giant (Someday)

2009-10-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Richie and I went to a blues harmonica blowout at BB King's where we saw and heard some of the giants of the blues world.

And one 8-year-old future giant who could really play!

An amazing story about a white goose

2009-10-01T06:50:00.001-07:00

This is one of those amazing stories you feel the need to share even though it probably won’t mean much to anyone else.

For years, about once a week, I have gone out to Long Island, picked up my mother in Great Neck and driven her out to see her sister in Glen Cove. And for years, almost every time we passed the park between East Shore Road and Maple Street in Manhasset, we would see a flock of Canada geese on the grass with one pure white goose among them.

I know it may seem strange, but I came to look forward to seeing that goose. I often wondered if he (or she) thought he was also a Canada Goose. Or whether the other geese even noticed. But basically, I just liked to see it year after year and know that it was thriving.

But earlier this summer, disappoint struck. Week after week we would pass the park and not only was the white goose gone, but so were all the others. I wondered if the town had found a way to get rid of them. Recently some Canada geese have begun to return. But not the white goose. Had it died? I sadly wondered.

This morning I was speaking to my friend Glen. He was telling me that the other day he took a walk by himself at Greenwich Point in Greenwich, CT. He said he noticed a flock of Canada geese … with one white goose among them.

And then he told me he wondered whether that white goose thought it was a Canada goose.

Greenwich Point is about 12 miles north, across Long Island Sound, from Manhasset, as the crow (or should I say, goose?) flies.

This is an absolute true story. I’m not all that surprised that, upon seeing the white goose among the others, Glen thought the same thing I thought. But really, what are the chances that he would see the white goose at all? And what are the chances that, having seen it, he would bring it up on the phone with me?