Please make welcome my special guest, Kersten Hamilton as she introduces her new book, Tyger Tyger! Take it away Kersten!
Tyger Tyger, Finding the Story that Makes it all Worthwhile, and Giving Away Books. Lots and Lots of Books!
“When I meet someone who says they’re ‘not much for books’ I can guarantee that they haven’t met the right book yet. I’d be happy to make some introductions.” — John Paul Wylltson, Tyger Tyger
In school I never managed anything higher than an F on spelling tests, no matter how long I studied or how hard I tried. I had no idea what my problem was in those days, and neither did anyone else. I just knew that school was misery. And I knew that whatever was wrong with me was standing between me and my dream. I wanted to be a writer. I wanted to tuck word magic into a story. I wanted to fill the whole world with books. Fortunately, I wanted it badly enough to fight for it, because it has been one heck of a battle to get where I am. It has given me a unique perspective on writing, though. J
When I wrote Tyger Tyger, I didn’t think of it as putting words on a page. I thought of it as musical notation—silent until it’s played on a finely-tuned instrument. That instrument is the heart and mind of a reader. That’s where my characters come to life, where the story is played out.
I believe there is a book out there that will draw in the even the wildest heart, and make tracking those scribbles across the page worth the trouble. That book, of course, is different for every person. Some people meet it when they are very young, and some when they are older. I hope Tyger Tyger will be that book for a few. The greater number of books a child is exposed to, the more likely they are to make the connection.
Which brings me to giving away lots and lots of books.
I not only write YA for Clarion, I write early picture books for Viking. My Viking editor recently wrote and asked permission to use two of my picture books, Red Truck and Police Officers On Patrol in a very special program called We Give Books. Here’s how it works:
We Give Books (
www.wegivebooks.org) is a new, first-of-its-kind, literacy initiative from Penguin and the Pearson Foundation that combines the joy of reading with the power of giving. It is a free website that enables anyone with Internet access to put books in the hands of children who don’t have them, simply by reading online. For every children’s book read online, a brand-new book will be donated to a nonprofit literacy organization the participant selects.
I will not make any money from having my picture books included in We Give Books. (I think they go up next month!) But it will bring me one step closer to part of my childhood dream— filling the world with books! And it is a great way for teachers and homeschoolers to share their love of books, too!
Thank you for having me on your blog to promote Tyger Tyger today!
Kersten Hamilton
Link to Kersten's site:
www.kerstenhamilton.com
Link to the Tyger Tyger site on Novel Noise:
http://www.novelnoise.com/2009/07/tyger-tyger-by-kersten-hamilton.html
I had intended on having a review on this book today. Unfortunately with school starting again, I have not read a complete book yet this month. I have enjoyed what I have read of this book so far and I recommend it! :)
Pre-order your copy of Tyger Tyger today by clicking the link below:
Should you choose to click on this link and make a purchase, I will receive a minuscule profit which will be turned back into another book purchase. I am an Amazon Associate.
