Kids' Book Talk: Megan Tingley Books

While the recent announcement of the 2004 National Book Award finalists included many unfamiliar names, one very familiar name in publishing came up twice in the same category. Nominated for the Young People's Literature award were two titles bearing Little, Brown's Megan Tingley Books imprint: Harlem Stomp! A Cultural History of the Harlem Renaissance by Laban Carrick Hill and Luna: A Novel by Julie Anne Peters.

Tingley, who is vice president, associate publisher, and editor-in-chief of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, has been honing her skills at the company since 1987, when she began as an editorial assistant. Ascending the editorial ladder, she started her own imprint in 2000. Since then, Megan Tingley Books has published 127 titles, ranging from picture books to Young Adult. The imprint's two National Book Award finalists illustrate the range of her projects. Luna explores the life of a fictional, transgender teen in a sympathetic and discerning style. The nonfiction finalist, Harlem Stomp, is an illustrated compendium of the literary, artistic, and intellectual creativity of the Harlem Renaissance. Both books were also selected by independent booksellers as Book Sense Kids' Picks for summer 2004.

BTW recently had the opportunity to ask Tingley about her approach to publishing children's books -- what she looks for when building her list, and what she's doing right.

Megan Tingley: I've found over the years that publishing books based on passion and vision, rather than market trends, is the best way to ensure a personal connection with readers. I've also always been interested in publishing books that speak to an under-served audience -- people on the edges of the mainstream -- and it happens that both of these books do that.

I look for authors who have original voices, strong passions, and a commitment to writing books that speak directly to young readers. I always hope to build a long-term relationship, and support my authors when they want to stretch in new directions. For example, I acquired Julie Anne Peters' first novel [The Stinky Sneakers Contest] in 1990 and have published eight more books by her since then. If I hadn't taken a chance on that first novel -- which I found in the slush pile -- and then supported her as she experimented writing for different age groups, we wouldn't have made it to Luna, which is a groundbreaking work both for her and in the field of young adult literature itself.

BTW: What has happened to the YA market over the past two decades? Dysfunction is now the norm -- might there be a swing back?

MT: The Young Adult market is exploding and has been a huge growth area for Little, Brown. Currently, the trend seems to be the blurring of lines between teenage and adult fiction, as exemplified by the success of our series Gossip Girl, which is popular with readers age 15 to 35. While I don't think writers have exhausted the possibilities of dysfunction as a theme, there are certainly a lot more books out there that push the envelope in terms of subject matter -- drug use, sex, abuse, gay issues, and others. I do think that a yearning for "kinder, gentler" books may develop as a reaction to all the intensity in YA fiction these days. Kids are assaulted from all angles -- TV, computer games, movies, magazines, and the Internet, with sexual and or violent images, so it's only natural that some might look for respite in the pages of a book. I think there will always be a place for "wholesome" publishing along the lines of Little House on the Prairie and American Girl and perhaps this will grow alongside the edgier fiction that is being published today. We are launching a new series called The Callahan Cousins, for this very reason. These are books that feature regular kids exploring friendship and family issues in a more innocent, playful atmosphere.

BTW: How has Luna been received -- both by its intended audience and adults? Has there been negative reaction to it, due to the sensitive nature of the subject?

MT: While Luna is about a transgender teen and obviously has special appeal to GLBTQ readers [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer], it also speaks to any teen who has struggled with his or her own identity, be it because of gender, race, sexual orientation, or physical appearance. Apparently, it also appeals to a lot of adults -- the author receives a tremendous amount of fan mail for this book and a surprising percentage is from readers in their 20s, 30s, and up. There has been very little negative reaction to this book. In fact, the author's fan mail is overwhelmingly positive, deeply personal, and moving. It seems to me readers have been desperate for a book like this and they are so grateful that someone finally wrote it. She [Julie Anne Peters] receives a lot of e-mails from readers saying "this book saved my life."

BTW: Who was the intended audience for Harlem Stomp? Does the nonfiction label make books a harder sell for kids?

MT: I know teachers are always looking for ways to weave African-American culture into the curriculum and it struck me that this book could reach across several disciplines -- art, music, literature, history, and politics. I was amazed to discover that there was only one other book about the Harlem Renaissance intended for young readers and it took more of an academic approach. Nonfiction books for young readers are often very dry, with black and white photographs and drab design. They feel like "homework." When I received the proposal for Harlem Stomp, my first thought was "this is a great idea, but if we want to find a teen readership, the book has to have a knockout look." We wanted the book to work for the educational community, but we also wanted it to be a gift book for families with an interest in African-American culture and art to share. That's why we selected an oversized trim and designed the book in full color with lavish illustrations and lively typography. This way it stands out no matter what environment it is in -- a library, bookstore, school, or museum. --Interviewed by Nomi Schwartz