Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Halloween Giveaway -- The Ratso Brothers Are Not Afraid by Kara LaReau

Dear Friends,

It’s that haunting time of year again, and our friend, the talented and impressive Kara LaReau, is back to share about what it means to be brave. Kara is not only a gifted writer, but a brilliant editor as well. (See her bio below.) Kara is generously donating an autographed book for the comment contest. At the bottom of the post, click on the small word: comments. Scroll down until you come to the comment box and leave a comment for us about what you were most afraid of as a child, or a time when you were brave, or a favorite Halloween memory. We’d love to hear from you even if it’s just to say you’d like to win the book. The winner of last week’s contest is announced at the end of the post.

Writing from the Inside Out. . .  by Kara LaReau

I think about bravery a lot, and how I can be a more courageous person, in my writing and in the world. So it’s no surprise that my newest book is called THE INFAMOUS RATSOS ARE NOT AFRAID.

Of course, being brave isn’t just about venturing into a house that may (or may not!) be haunted, like Louie Ratso does in the story, or overcoming a fear of spiders, like the Ratso brothers’ father, Big Lou — it can also be about doing what feels right and true to yourself, even when it’s hard. Ralphie Ratso learns this lesson when a rumor starts at school about him liking an unpopular girl. It turns out — spoiler alert! — the girl is unpopular because of another rumor, one that Ralphie started a long time ago, which he meant as a joke.

I can totally relate to Ralphie; to deflect from some childhood bullying and some of my own insecurities as a kid, I developed a snarky attitude. I’d do just about anything to make people laugh, and that sometimes came at the expense of others. Even on the occasions where I was called on it, I just shrugged it off, and blamed the butts of my jokes for being hyper-sensitive or humorless.

Now that I’m an adult and a little bit more self-aware, I recognize that behavior as toxic. I try to practice more compassion. And I’ve come to realize that while a little bit of snarky attitude is fine, most people prefer it when I’m being my honest self; allowing ourselves to be open and vulnerable is another form of bravery, one that we need more than ever these days.

Interior text and art
Eventually, Ralphie does the right (and brave) thing and apologizes, and in the process, he makes a new friend — a skunk named Millicent, who’s become one of my favorite characters, especially given how illustrator Matt Myers has brought her to life. I hope you’ll love her, too, as I have big plans for her in future stories. And of course, I hope that when kids read THE INFAMOUS RATSOS series, they’ll learn from Louie and Ralphie’s mistakes. They are often my mistakes, too. 

Review quotes:

★”Another tale for fledgling chapter-book readers that highlights the profound value of kindness to others.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Readers will be following right alongside these two likable rats as Ralphie confronts his past misdeeds and Louie screws his courage to the sticking post….Charming.” (Kirkus)

INFAMOUS RATSOS ARE NOT AFRAID. Text copyright © 2017 by Kara Lareau. Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Matt Myers. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Candlewick Press, Somerville, MA.

Kara LaReau was born and raised in Connecticut. She received her Masters in Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts and later worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and at Scholastic Press. Among other celebrated titles, she edited Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, and the Mercy Watson series. She is the author of picture books such as UGLY FISH and OTTO: The Boy Who Loved Cars, illustrated by Scott Magoon, and NO SLURPING, NO BURPING! A Tale of Table Manners, illustrated by Lorelay Bové; a chapter book series called The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers; and a middle-grade trilogy called The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters, illustrated by Jen Hill. Kara lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her husband and son and their cat.


You’ll want to purchase several copies of The Infamous Ratsos are Not Afraid for your favorite independent readers as a special Halloween treat!

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The lucky winner of The Shape of the World: A Portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright by K.L.Going is:
Jilanne Hoffmann
CONGRATULATIONS!!
(Please email me: claragillowclark(at)gmail(dot)com with your mailing address and to whom youd like the book inscribed.)

Thank you, Kelly for sharing your wisdom and insights with us and for your generosity. And thank you, dear readers, for your extraordinary comments! 

Ill be back on Halloween to announce the winner of The Infamous Ratsos are Not Afraid.  ~Clara



15 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping by to celebrate good books, Rosemary!

      Your name is entered for a chance to win the free copy of The Infamous Ratsos are Not Afraid.

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    2. Thanks, Rosemary — so great to hear! :)

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  2. Woohooo! Thank you, Kelly and Clara! I'm sooooooo excited! I can't wait! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!

    I also love the first Ratsos book. My son ate it up. So it's great to see that another one is entering the world. I think that many kids tend to downplay how mean "innocent" humor can be, humor that turns out to cause pain for others. I'm seeing it now in my son's middle school, and we're working to try to get it under control. Such a tough issue when you get a large group of kids together. Thank you, Kara, for writing a book that tackles these kinds of issues in a non-didactic way!

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    1. Jilanne, Your enthusiasm for these books is putting sunshine in this rainy day! Thanks for sharing how this issue touches you personally.

      And, YES, your name is entered for a chance to win The Infamous Ratsos are Not Afraid.

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  3. Sounds like a fun book! Kids love the Ratsos!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Kathy! The Ratsos' adventures really hook in to the psyche of kids.

      Your name is entered for a chance to win The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid.

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  4. This looks like a great read for the kids! A book of bravery…Can’t wait to read this one.

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, Hope! I feel the same way--eager to share with some special youngsters.

      Your name is entered for a chance to win The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid.

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  5. This book would be perfect for my eight year old! Sounds like it has all the right elements for kids that age...

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    1. Thanks for joining the Halloween party, Kelly. I have no doubt that your eight year old would love the adventures of the Infamous Ratsos.

      Your name is entered for a chance to win The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid for your favorite youngster.

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  6. Such a timely book, when we could all use more compassion and more courage. Congratulations!

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    1. Spot on, Marileta. Compassion and courage are always timely.
      Thanks for stopping by to join the Halloween party!

      Your name is entered for a chance to win The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid.

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  7. Hi Clara,
    Thanks for hosting Kara. I enjoyed reading her post.
    In answer to your question about my childhood fear: I was hospitalized when I was about five years old. An older boy told me my parents weren't ever coming to get me. Later that day, when the elevator doors opened and my mother and father walked off of it, I felt so relieved. The older boy thought it was funny that I believed him, but it wasn't funny to me. I've learned that telling a joke at another's expense isn't really a joke--it's just cruel humor.
    Don't put my name in for the drawing. Let someone with a young child win Kara's wonderful book because my grandchildren are older.

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    1. Thank you for sharing that childhood story, Donna. How terrified you must have been. Your story called up emotions from a fearful childhood memory and immediately my heart started to race even though all turned out well.

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