‘Top Chef’s’ Gail Simmons on Life as a Professional Eater

Culinary expert, food critic, Top Chef judge and special projects director at Food & Wine magazine, Gail Simmons describes how her life is connected by a deep appreciation for food in her new memoir, Talking with My Mouth Full: My Life As a Professional Eater.

Check out more recently published books on food and cooking.

Why this book now?

When I first started thinking about a book, I didn’t know…maybe I’d write a cookbook? But then I asked myself, do I really have 100 recipes in me that have never been done before, that the world really needs ...

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Teamwork: Bringing Frederick Douglass to Life

Lesa Cline-Ransome and illustrator James E. Ransome, who most recently brought musical prodigy Joseph Boulogne to young readers in Before There Was Mozart, have collaborated once more, this time to create Words Set Me Free, the story of young Frederick Douglass and his determined quest for literacy.

Though Douglass is a well-known historical figure, few may know of his passion to learn to read as a young slave, or how reading opened the door to a full and dignified life. Here the author and illustrator (who also collaborate as husband and wife) discuss their joint work on this book.

Find ...

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Running for Rwanda

An award-winning fiction writer and poet, Naomi Benaron’s debut novel Running the Rift won the Bellwether Prize for fiction. Set in Rwanda—a country that Benaron says she felt a strong connection to upon first sight—the story follows Jean Patrick Nkuba and his dream of one day running in the Olympics.

Here the author discusses the inspiration for her novel and her connection to central character whose desire to achieve greatness is set against the backdrop of the Rwandan conflict.

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Was there a defining moment when you knew you had to write ...

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Veera Hiranandani: A Judy Blume for This Generation

Veera Hiranandani says her career incarnations have included stints as an admissions counselor, a writing teacher and a children’s book editor. With her first novel for young readers, The Whole Story of Half a Girl, the author introduces readers to Sonia, the product of an intercultural marriage.

Hiranandani’s novel explores the father/daughter relationship as well as the sometimes-complicated issues surrounding identity and middle-school friendship.

Revisit the best teen books of 2011.

Was there a particular image or event that prompted you to write this book, or was it the result of a long-simmering idea?

It was definitely ...

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Catchin’ a Wave with Jennifer Sattler

Jennifer Sattler’s background is in fine arts, but (upon realizing that all her heroes were Looney Tunes characters or in Pixar movies, and that her “inner goofball was being suppressed”) she found her true calling as a writer and illustrator of children’s books.  Since then she has created the well-received Chick ‘n’ Pug and Sylvie, and now Pig Kahuna, the story of two little pigs who discover a surfboard and (unintentionally) learn to face their fears.

Find more great picture books that celebrate friends & family among our 2011 Best Books for Children.

Where did the idea for Pig ...

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On the Hunt with Tamora Pierce

Bestselling and critically acclaimed fantasy author Tamora Pierce is known for creating teen novels with strong female characters—and for having a particularly devoted fan base. Here the author discusses her “shero” Beka’s final adventure in Mastiff, book three in the Beka Cooper Trilogy set in the universe of Tortall. This series closer finds Beka, a cop (known as a Dog) in the city of Corus, on a high-stakes Hunt for villains who threaten the integrity of the entire country of Tortall.

Find more police investigations in teen literature.

Can you comment on the satisfaction you get from creating ...

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'Around the World' with Matt Phelan

Writer and artist Matt Phelan has illustrated numerous children’s books, including Newbery Award–winning The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron. In 2009, he published his first graphic story, The Storm in the Barn.

Phelan, who grew up watching old movies and cartoons with his dad, says he’s drawn to the past, which he returns to with his newest graphic story, Around the World, dramatizing the stories of three intrepid global adventurers in the late 1800s.

Find more great graphic novels & illustrated chapter books among our 2011 Best Books for Children.

How did you come to write ...

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From Romance to YA: Karen Sandler's ‘Tankborn’

Karen Sandler has written for most of her life and published numerous romance novels before deciding to write for teenagers. She says Tankborn was about 30 years in the making and had several incarnations—first, as an idea inspired by conversations on the caste system with an Indian co-worker, then as an adult screenplay for a futuristic thriller (optioned but never produced) before finding its final form in Tankborn, her first novel for teens. In it, teenage Kayla finds herself questioning caste rules in a far-future dystopia structured around racial classification.

Find more YA dystopias with teens on the margins ...

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Talking 'Toys' with Emily Jenkins

Emily Jenkins is the author of many highly acclaimed books for children, including the first in her Toys Go Out series, Toys Go Out, an ALA Notable Book that received three starred reviews.

Jenkins’ third book about these singular pals is Toys Come Home, its events occurring before those in Toys Go Out and Toy Dance Party. The new book offers young readers insights into what happened to Sheep’s ear and how Stingray came to find her place on the high bed with fluffy pillows. 

Discover other buddy stories for chapter-book readers.

You’ve written widely and for a ...

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Gabrielle Bernstein: 'Spirit Junkie'

The New York Times has called motivational speaker, life coach and author Gabrielle Bernstein the next-generation guru. Her first book, Add More~ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide to Happiness, established her as the leader of a new wave of soul searchers and a mentor to young women nationwide. Bernstein’s latest, Spirit Junkie, details the author’s spiritual journey in a guidebook that encourages others to overcome their fears and welcome everyday miracles.

Did you read Erica Jong's collection of women writing about sex, 'Sugar in My Bowl'?

You’ve always loved to speak but have said ...

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Visiting Memories with Allen Say

Author and illustrator Allen Say has won numerous awards for his children’s stories, including the 1994 Caldecott Medal for Grandfather’s Journey. Many of Say’s stories draw on his experiences as a child growing up in Japan before moving to America at 16. In this graphic memoir, Drawing from Memory, Say pays tribute to his mentor, Noro Shinpei, who was Japan’s leading cartoonist at the time Say, then 12, approached him seeking artistic guidance. Here Say discusses art, writing and how Shinpei’s generosity changed the course of his life.

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Lisa Jewell on Love…a Decade Later

British author Lisa Jewell’s debut novel, Ralph's Party, was an international bestseller. Eleven years later, Jewell revisits her characters Ralph and Jem in After the Party to explore what happens to a perfect couple when the strains of children, careers and everyday life threaten to overwhelm them.

Read more new and notable fiction books in August.

Here, Jewell, who says she scatters “bits of herself” in all her novels, discusses what prompted this long-awaited sequel, and how her art parallels—and departs from—her own life.

Many authors who write sequels to well-loved books do so promptly, in ...

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Let's Hear It for Vegetables!

As an award-winning children’s author with more than 50 natural-history books to her credit, April Pulley Sayre is known for her ability to blend scientific accuracy with an inviting use of language that gets young readers out of their seats and into the natural world. Here, Sayre discusses her book, Rah, Rah, Radishes! A Vegetable Chant, in which she invites children to dance to, shout out and taste the deliciousness of language while getting to know their veggies.

Find more great picture books among our 2011 Best Books for Children.

What do you like best about watching kids enjoy ...

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'Reservation Road' revisited in 'Northwest Corner'

John Burnham Schwartz, author of bestselling novels including Reservation Road and The Commoner, is also an accomplished screenwriter and currently literary director for the Sun Valley Writer’s Conference. Here, Schwartz discusses his decision to return to the characters he first introduced in Reservation Road with his new novel Northwest Corner.

Read Bookslut's exclusive column at Kirkus.

How did writing this novel compare to writing Reservation Road?

Reservation Road was more grueling to write than Northwest Corner for two reasons: I was 27 when I began the first book and still grasping for certain techniques and perceptions that I ...

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Lincoln Peirce's Big Nate

A cartoonist whose comic strip Big Nate debuted in 1991, Peirce nabbed a sizable audience of preteen readers with his first book-length story, which plans comic-strip panels and regular prose; Big Nate: In a Class by Himself enjoyed a healthy stay on the New York Times bestseller list. Peirce’s work is featured on the website Poptropica and has garnered over a million hits. Here, Peirce discusses Big Nate On a Roll, his third book in the six-book series.

Read other books that blend comic-book panels with text.

What’s your favorite thing about writing the Big Nate series?

Comic ...

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Bobbie Ann Mason: ‘The Girl in the Blue Beret’

Bobbie Ann Mason is known for her award-winning novels set in the South, including In Country and Shiloh and Other Stories. Her latest, The Girl in the Blue Beret, was inspired by her father-in-law’s World War II experiences as an aviator shot down in occupied Europe and aided by the French Resistance. Here, Mason tells us about his past, researching wartime Europe and the idea behind the blue beret.

Read more new and notable fiction for June.

Do you recall the first time you heard your father-in-law talk about this part of his life?

Not really. I knew about ...

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Mary Finn: Horse Anatomy and History

Mary Finn, author of Anila’s Journey, won a Parent’s Choice Gold Award and the Eilís Dillon Award for a first book in her native Ireland. Her new novel, Belladonna, was inspired by George Stubbs’ “precise yet ghostly” anatomical studies of horses. In a starred review, Kirkus praised it for being "as carefully and beautifully rendered as the anatomical studies that inspired it." Here, Finn discusses the writing of Belladonna, which brings together Ling (Hélène), a circus performer, and Thomas, Stubbs’ fictional apprentice.

Find other books for teens about horses and the circus.

Could you explain ...

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The Teen Years with Drs. Oz and Roizen

Michael F. Roizen, founder of RealAge.com, and Mehmet C. Oz, Emmy-winning host of The Dr. Oz Show, are two of America’s most trusted doctors. They also happen to be the bestselling authors of the YOU health series and have teamed up again, this time for YOU: The Owner’s Manual for Teens.

Read more new releases on health and wellness at Kirkus.

Roizen and Oz hope the book will help teens better understand their bodies and minds as they navigate the turbulent adolescent years. Recently, Roizen talked to us about his writing partnership with Oz and what they ...

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‘To Burgundy and Back Again’ with Roy Cloud

Roy Cloud runs Vintage ’59, a boutique importer specializing in French wines based in Washington, D.C. In his debut book, To Burgundy and Back Again: A Tale of Wine, France, and Brotherhood, the oenophile chronicles an impromptu trip to France to persuade small-scale winemakers to do business with him. Just one minor problem though. Cloud had only the crumbled remains of his high school French under his belt, so he invited his brother Joe to tag along—and translate. What results is a tour through the terroirs of central France, as well as an exploration into the meaning of ...

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Bollywood, Dolly and 'The Grand Plan'

For Bollywood-obsessed Dini, being on the same subcontinent as superstar Dolly Singh is about the only compensation for being uprooted from her Maryland home to live in small-town India for two years. In a starred review, Kirkus called The Grand Plan to Fix Everything a "high-energy concoction [that] is thoroughly believable and entertaining."

Go here for a list of books about Indian kids around the world.

The author Uma Krishnaswami, who writes both picture books and novels, also teaches writing at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Recognized for sharing international and multicultural viewpoints with young readers, her novel Naming ...

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