The Journeys of John and Julia

There is a new book just out that is so brilliant I have to share it with everyone.

From my Goodreads shelf:

The Journeys of John and Julia in Chapter One: Genesis by Aurelia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"Get ready for the adventure of your life. This masterful debut novel will have you turning pages long into the night and contemplating them well after the story ends. Or shall I say begins? For "The Journeys of John and Julia: Genesis" is but the first installment of what promises to be a brilliant series. The author weaves a shimmering tapestry with words, populates it with unforgettable characters, and ushers us into a world that is by turns magical, frightening, and ultimately empowering."

And if you're a Heroes fan like I am, this blurb from Heroes creator Tim Kring will really send you over the edge:

“Imagine a life off the grid and all the comforts it offers to a teenager. When John and Julia, the 13-year-old heroes in this cool new series find themselves without signal in ‘backwards’ Cedarwood Ridge, it becomes apparent that they need all their energy to battle unspeakable evil forces while receiving superhero-training by a collective of magical beings. All totally useful stuff, since their and our entire future may be at stake. Anyone who is a fan of ‘Heroes’ will definitely enjoy Genesis.”

By the way, what I didn't mention in my own review is that the characters in The Journeys of John and Julia also have really good taste. In fact, one of the characters is curled up with Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict. And you know what? Jane from Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict stayed up all night with The Journeys of John and Julia. And so did Wes. It's a perfect book for a young lady from 1813. And a guy from 2011. And kids and teens like Wes's teenage niece Emma, who's been telling all her friends to read it.

As Jane Austen put it in Northanger Abbey:

Alas! if the heroine of one novel be not patronized by the heroine of another, from whom can she expect protection and regard?

Is anyone too young to read Jane Austen?

How early should one start?

Opinions vary, but I'd say you can't go wrong reading Pride and Prejudice to a two-week-old baby. That's what I did when I visited my niece, and there were none of those "what is an entail" or "why doesn't Jane just text Bingley when she's in London" sorts of questions. In fact, my reading lulled her into a deep, soothing sleep.

Some believe in starting even earlier. Just ask Cherilynne Perdigon, daughter of the school librarian at my nephew's elementary school. She began reading Austen to her daughter Sybilla in utero. Sybilla is now 14 months old, and mom's still reading her Austen. I imagine by the time she is five, she may be saying things like, "Kinderdance? At an assembly such as this it would be insupportable!"

[My niece enjoying the beneficial effects of having Pride and Prejudice read to her.]

Read to Kids--and spread some happiness around

Writers tend to be a tad on the obsessive side. A little too caught up in our own little worlds. After all, we sit at our desks immersed in stories that go on inside our heads. And sometimes it's easy to forget that there is actually a world full of other human beings out there. Which is why I like to unchain myself from my desk now and then and actually try to connect with other human beings. Maybe even spread some happiness around.

Recently I had the privilege of doing just that when I visited Macfarlane Park School for International Studies in Tampa, Florida, where my nephew Eli attends first grade. I read a story to his class, and all I can say is that if you are ever feeling disconnected, low, or sorry for your self, I have the cure. Call up your local elementary school and read a storybook to a room full of first-graders. You will rediscover all the childlike wonder and love of story that got you reading or writing in the first place.  

These kids were so excited they could barely contain their energy. In fact, their teacher, a lovely young woman named Holly Madiedo, gave them a time-out in the middle of story time so they could shake out all that excess energy. She also showed me how she got the kids to start writing their own stories. First graders! Holly is an extraordinarily dedicated teacher, and what a privilege it was to meet her. Holly's also a dedicated writer, writes every day and who knows where she gets the energy after a day with those first-graders, but I've no doubt I will one day see her stories in print.

After saying good-bye to Ms. Madiedo's class, I headed over to Mrs. Nestor's fourth-grade class, where I talked about—of all things—having one's writing edited! Yes, these were fourth-graders. It seems they had just had their first experience having their writing commented on and edited by their wonderful teacher, and they were having a hard time dealing with the feedback. So I told them that it's not any different for adults like me and that the trick is to play the "what if" game. What if I did change that sentence the way my teacher/editor suggested it? What if I might actually like it? It doesn't hurt to try.

The kids loved hearing that adults go through the same things they do with their writing. And what questions they asked me! One little boy asked me what inspires me; another asked what I do when I don't know what to write. The answer to the first is everything around me if I open myself to it. The second is something I've talked about in my writing workshops, and that's having fun with being in the place of "I don't know." I don't know what's going to happen next in my story. I have no idea what to write. And isn't that great? Because I just KNOW that something wonderful is going to come to me. And you know what? It does.

So if you're feeling low about the world, your life, or the state of the economy, there is definitely something you can do. Read to a child. Even better—read to a classroom full of children. I can guarantee there are plenty of overworked, dedicated teachers who would love to have you visit their classroom and share your excitement about your love of books. And pass that on to a child.

There are even organizations that can help you get started, if you don't feel quite up to doing it on your own. Here's a wonderful organization that I participated in--Readingtokids.org. They're in the Los Angeles area. For an organization in your area, just do a Google search with the keywords "reading to kids" or "reading to children" and the name of your city, and I'm sure you'll come up with something perfect. 

And by the way, it's never to young to start reading Jane Austen to kids. But that's the subject of another post to come...