Author Interview: Terry McChesney author of Dog Tacos

I interviewed Terry McChesney in the library at Col. John O. Ensor Middle School in El Paso, Texas, on April 4, 2011. McChesney was in town speaking to high school students at Chapin and Coronado High Schools. He brought me a copy of his book Dog Tacos and agreed to answer a few questions.

Pamela (me): Who is the target audience of your book Dog Tacos?

McChesney: Middle school and high school readers, but I am surprised how many 30 and 40-year old people who have read it like it.

Pamela: You set the story in El Paso? Why here?

McChesney: I grew up in El Paso and went to Bassett Middle School and Austin High School. Both my parents were teachers in El Paso.

Pamela: What is your next project?

McChesney: I am working on Dog Tacos 2 and have plans for a third book.

Pamela: What is your future in skateboarding?

McChesney: After a 16 year absence, I plan to continue with skateboarding. I used to have a skate park here in El Paso.

Terry McChesney's book Dog Tacos is now available. Other Dog Tacos merchandise and more about the author can be found at www.dogtacos.com

YA Pick

Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, Book One)
by Heather Brewer
Scholastic, 2007.
182 pages.

Meet Vladamir Tod. He's sometimes funny, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes moody, yet always hungry. Just your typical teen-age boy, right? Well, kinda--Vlad is "typical" in all areas except for the fact that his father was a very powerful vampire who turned his back on his own kind to marry a human, Vlad's mother. This fact alone makes Vlad a "marked man" in vampiredom; the true vampires think he's dangerous and want his father to answer for his actions in breaking vampire law.

Aunt Nellie raises Vlad after the untimely deaths of his parents. Nellie is not a blood (pun intended) relation at all--she was best friends with Vlad's mother. Lucky for Vlad, Nellie works in a hospital and is responsible for disposing all the blood near its "due date." Vlad happily feeds on the blood bags Nellie brings home.

Throughout the book, Vlad faces the usual worries of an 8th grade boy: shyness around girls, being bullied by two huge thugs, worries about not being popular, jealousy, oh, and add in the fact that a vampire wants to kill Vlad.

Brewer wins fans with the likeable friendship of Vlad and Henry. Readers will want to read the next books: Ninth Grade Slays and Tenth Grade Bleeds. The fourth installment is due out February 2010 with the paperback edition due out August 2010. Be on the look-out for a movie of Vlad. He is too likeable a character for Hollywood to pass up. Recommended for YA collections. Grade 6-up.

YA Pick

Witch & Wizard
by James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
Little Brown and Company, 2009.
314 pages.

Teen readers will be drawn to this novel for three reasons: the large "W" ablaze dominating the cover, the words "witch" and "wizard" in the title, and those readers who followed the Maximum Ride series will want to read Patterson's latest YA novel.

Siblings Wisty and Whit Allgood are awakened in the middle of the night by armed thugs who arrest them, transport them to a "trial," and drop them off at a sadistic prison. The old government has been overthown and replaced by a maniac who refers to himself as "The One Who Is The One." The Allgood teens are dangerous to the new order because of their powers. Wisty and Whit discover that they are a witch and a wizard, respectively. As they begin to harness their powers, they befriend a ghost or "curve" who helps them escape the prison through the Shadowlands, a dangerous otherworld where spirits, and sometimes, humans, roam. Later, they join a gang of likeminded kids who hope to overthrow the new regime and fulfill a prophecy that kids will rule and peace will come.

This is a quick read with chapters only 2-4 pages in length. Each chapter ends on a suspenseful note to keep those pages turning. Action and adventure readers will enjoy this novel. Patterson continues to use a formula he has had past success with: working with another author who is comfortable in the children's and YA lit market. Charbonnet, with over 75 titles to her credit, is best known for the Babysitter's Club Baby Sister's books.

The ending of this novel makes possible a slew of sequels. As prolific a writer as Patterson is, he will likely churn out a whole series.

Recommended for YA collections. Grades 6-high school.