penguinteen:Every reader has That Book—That Book that made a huge impression on you, That Bo
penguinteen: Every reader has That Book—That Book that made a huge impression on you, That Book you re-read over and over again, That Book that resonated with you so much that you still think about the characters years after you first read it. For so many teens, That Book is David Lubar’s Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, in which Scott, a freshman, begins to write a high school survival guide to pass on to his soon-to-be-born sibling. Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie turns ten years old next year, and we’re thrilled to announce that 2015 will also bring us a sequel titled Sophomores and Other Oxymorons! Julie Strauss-Gabel, Vice President and Publisher of Dutton, acquired world rights to Sophomores and Other Oxymorons by David Lubar for publication in Fall 2015. This sequel to the hilarious and beloved Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2015, finds Scott Hudson navigating through his sophomore year. David Lubar has written more than thirty books for teens and young readers. His novels, including Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie and Hidden Talents, are on reading lists across the country and his Weenies short story collections have sold more than two million copies. He designed and programmed many video games in an earlier eight-bit life, including Home Alone and Frogger 2. He grew up in New Jersey, went to Rutgers, and now lives in Nazareth, PA with one awesome female and various annoying felines. You can visit him on the web at www.davidlubar.com. David graciously allowed us to pepper him with some questions about Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie and the upcoming sequel. Check it out! It’s been almost 10 years since Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie was published. What is it like to revisit these characters after some time away? Well, the book feels a lot heavier. But that might just be my aging muscles. And the print is definitely a lot smaller. That aside, I was pleased and surprised at how well the book held up. (It definitely held up better than I did.) The thing that struck me the most, at the risk of sounding boastful, was how funny it was. I knew that it, like most of my books, was funny, but I’d forgotten how much humor was in it, and how powerful that humor was. Why do you think Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie has resonated so much with teens? The wise-guy answer to this would be, “If I knew that, I’d do it every time.” I can make some guesses. The humor is definitely a factor. I also made a conscious effort to give Scott supportive parents. In several of my novels, the fathers had been borderline demons of various sorts. I wanted to avoid repeating myself. I felt it would be nice to have a YA novel where the family is normal, happy, functional, and supportive. Beyond that, I think Scott is a very likeable young man. And the other characters are fun to hang around with. The situations Scott encounters, while sometimes bordering on farce, are realistic enough that teens can identify with the path he is navigation through life as a freshman. I like to think that the metafictional aspects of the book, such as when the narrative mimics the topic being taught in the English class, add to the reader’s pleasure. I don’t highlight those parts or point them out. I let the reader discover what is going on. One more note: Who doesn’t love Tom Swifties? We can’t wait to find out what happens to Scott in Sophomores and Other Oxymorons! Can you give us a sneak peek into what we can expect from Scott’s sophomore year? Scott will mentally bond with an unhatched dragon, and then discover that one of his female classmates is a vampire. Together, the three friends will fight to survive a massive battle to the death that springs up from a PTA fundraiser gone awry. This will assure that the book will resonate with teens. Beyond that, Lee and Wesley will back (though Wesley is now finished with high school). Scott’s baby brother will be, in Scotts own words (SPOILER ALERT!!!!!) “somewhat amusing but essentially useless and frequently damp.” Oops. I guess I meant “soiler alert.” Scott will continue to grow as a writer. The key components of the first book, such as journal entries and lists, will be back, along with some new ways for Scott to tell his story. Hubris will rear its ugly head. One major revelation about Scott’s past, that got cut from the first book, will finally be told. And all of the narrative will be written using the alliterative poetic structure that made Gawain and the Green Knight flow so smoothly past the reader’s eyes. Is there anything else you’d like to add? Yes. I actually just added this question to the three I was sent, as a way of making the transition from official questions to ones I’ve decided to ask myself, because writing answers to questions I ask myself is a great way for me to procrastinate from the task at hand. What’s been the most amusing moment you’ve experienced so far, during the process of writing this book? I was intrigued at the idea of waiting until November to get started, so I could write the whole novel during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), but decided not to put myself in a position where I’d have to rush. But that gave me the idea to have Scott decide to write a novel during NaNoWriMo. (The reader will never see a word of his novel, but will see his thoughts about the process as he shares them in his journal.) That definitely amused me. I guess Scott’s NaNoWriMo novel could actually turn out to be Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie, but that’s a bit too twisty a path for me to think about. You seem to be enjoying yourself. Are you having fun writing this book? I am. I’m having great fun tossing Scott into the rock tumbler that’s sophomore year, and getting to know Lee a lot better. This isn’t to say that there aren’t difficult spots in the process of writing a novel. But one of the major joys of creative writing is that I get to solve problems of my own creation. That “ah ha!” moment when the solution comes to mind is usually accompanied by a ripple of pleasure. At the risk of ending on a down note, what’s the worst part about writing a sequel? I live in fear of sullying a well-loved book with a weak sequel. I know I have the skill to write an enjoyable novel, but every time I make a major decision about plot or about narrative structure, I have a hard time not second-guessing myself. But to write the best possible book I can produce, I will have to take some risks. Sometimes, it’s hard to evaluate those risks. Fortunately, I’m not writing this sequel ina vacuum. (Mostly because it’s too dark and dusty inside mine to work comfortably for more than a few minutes at a time.) My editor will gently nudge me away from bottomless pits, bogs, and land mines. As will my trusted inner circle of readers. I am fortunate to have a wife who isn’t afraid to crush my enthusiasm when it has clouded my judgment, and a close friend who reads books like Infinite Jest for fun. That wasn’t too gloomy. Is there anything else you want to say? Nope. I’d like to stay and chat, but I have work to do. Novels don’t write themselves. And I promised my wife I’d vacuum the living room. David and I have been talking about this for a long time - thrilled to be making it happen and to tell more of Scott’s story! -- source link
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