4.2.2015: A Recipe for Spring

Nana Sasso's Savory Easter Pie

In celebration of spring, here's a short piece I wrote for Italian Cooking & Living several years ago, about a family recipe passed along through my maternal great-grandmother, Maria Assunta Famighlietti Sasso, and the changing traditions surrounding it.

I don't recommend following the magazine's version of the recipe (it's too salty, for one), so I've also posted Nana's original instructions (as told to my mother) and my mother's adaptation (click through to read those). As you'll see, altering the recipe is part of the tradition and fun of this pie. Year to year, it is never exactly the same--so feel free to play with it!

Happy spring.

3.26.2015: Upcoming Events: Book Party Alert

You're invited! (x4)

Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split is almost here, and I'll be doing four fun events in April and May to celebrate. If you're anywhere near Newburyport, Atlanta, Alexandria, or Brooklyn, please come join me at one of the readings/parties below--I'd love to see you there!

If you can't come to the events but would still like to get a signed copy of the book, please contact Little Shop of Stories, Hooray for Books!, or BookCourt to order one. For a not-signed copy (or an ebook), just follow these links to Indiebound, Amazon, B&N, BAM or iTunes, or ask for Anna, Banana at your local bookstore or library.

Thanks for your support! See you soon.

April 25: Newburyport Literary Festival

I'll be launching Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split at the Newburyport Literary Festival in Newburyport, MA on Saturday, April 25. Please come say hello, get a signed a copy of the book, take part in a fun storytelling game...and meet my mom, too!

May 1: Little Shop of Stories 

Join acclaimed YA author Terra Elan McVoy and me at Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA on Friday, May 1 at 6:30pm for a joint party celebrating the release of two friendship-themed books: Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split and Terra's first middle-grade novel, Drive Me Crazy. Treats will be served and books will be signed. Bring your best friend!

May 3: Hooray for Books!

Please join me at Hooray for Books! in Alexandria, VA from 2-4pm on Sunday, May 3. There will be fun activities for kids, tasty beverages for adults, and treats and books for all.

May 9: BookCourt

Come celebrate with me at one of my favorite Brooklyn bookstores, BookCourt, on Saturday, May 9, at 4pm. There will be activities for kids and prosecco for grownups, plus cheese, cheer, and home-baked treats for all. (Also, books!)

I will also be doing several school visits this spring and fall. If you'd like me to visit or Skype with your school or classroom, please be in touch!

2.24.2015: Book News! The Teacher's Pet

Here comes trouble....

Some book news I'm delighted to share (official announcement from the PW Rights Report):

This manuscript was a ton of fun to write, and I feel so lucky that my super agent, Meredith Kaffel, matched it with super editrix Rotem Moscovich at Disney-Hyperion, who brought the superb Zachariah OHora on board. (If you're not already familiar with Zach's illustrations, please check out his latest picture book, Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman. It will steal your heart. I'm such a fan.)

Here's to summer 2017!

2.14.15: Book Love

Happy Valentine's Day!

What better way to celebrate than by falling in love with a book? Here are a few that captured my heart.

AnicaRissiValentine.jpg

What books are warming your heart these days?

2.11.2015: Big-Mouth Bet Cover Reveal!

Introducing...Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet!

I'm delighted to share the cover for Anna, Banana, and the Big-Mouth Bet (S&S, Sept. 2015). This third book in the series was super fun to write, and I love Meg Park's cover art, especially Banana's expression. Big thanks to Meg and to art director Laurent Linn and editrix Kristin Ostby.

AnnaBananaandtheBigMouthBet.jpg

Here's the flap copy:

Anna has a loose tooth! It’s as wiggly as her dog Banana’s tail. But while Anna is poking at her loose tooth, class clown Justin keeps poking fun at Anna and her friends. 

Anna tries to make Justin leave them alone, and gets pulled into a high-stakes bet. If Anna wins, Justin has to play nice; but if Anna loses, she has to do something so jaw-droppingly embarrassing, even Banana can’t believe it.

There’s no wiggling her way out of this one. Anna has to win the bet and stop Justin’s annoying antics…before she gets in even more toothy trouble.

And would you like to read an excerpt? Here's one from Chapter Twelve: The Better Bettor.

I popped out of my seat, turned toward the coat hooks, and slammed straight into Justin. We both froze.

He looked at me with startled eyes for what felt like the longest second in the world. For a moment, I wondered if Justin was as worried about the bet as I was. 

Then he spoke. “Better rush home and practice your dance moves,” he said, “since tomorrow you’ll be performing in the middle of class. Bawk bawk!” 

I glared. “Better practice keeping your mouth shut,” I said, “since soon you won’t be allowed to open it at all.” 

I stormed off without waiting for his comeback. This tooth had to come out now.

Add it on Goodreads here. 

(Pssst, the first two books in the series are now available for pre-order! Here are the links to find Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split, which comes out on May 5: Indiebound | B&N | BAM | iTunes | Amazon | Goodreads. Thank you for your support!)

12.29.14: Triple Happiness

Blurbtastic news!

AnnaARC.jpg

My almost-8-year-old niece, Anna Luiza, read an advance copy of Anna, Banana, and the Friendship Split over the holidays, and my heart split open and oozed happiness at the sound of her giggling over it in the next room.

Two other wonderful people, Lauren Myracle and Megan McDonald, also gave the book an early read. Lauren and Megan are two of my favorite authors, so I am dancing around the room, wagging my tail with excitement over the news that they liked it:

"I've drawn rainbow sparkle hearts on every page of this book, because I love it that much. A perfect friendship story!" --Lauren Myracle, bestselling author of the Winnie Years

"Fast-paced, fun, and funny. Girls will lap up this easy-breezy friendship story like a banana split--and the happy ending is the cherry on top!" --Megan McDonald, bestselling author of Judy Moody

Thank you, Lauren and Megan!

And hey, Happy New Year, everyone. Here's to sparkles and joy and lots of great books in 2015.

12.17.2014: Manuscript "Rules"

Give the Reader Something to Wonder About

A few years ago, as part of a Writers Digest YA round table conversation on "YA today," I laid out some advice for writers hoping to rise to the top of the submissions pile. Those tips appeared in the magazine as a sidebar to the article and were later published on the Writers Digest website as "9 Must-Follow Manuscript Rules." I'm not responsible for that click-bait title, but I hope you'll find the list useful. 

(To read the full conversation on "YA today" with me, editor and author Aimee Friedman, editor Wendy Loggia, and agents Stephen Fraser and George Nicholson, you'll need to get your hands on the May/June 2010 issue of Writers Digest.)

Good luck with your revision!

12.7.2014: Do Not Eat It

Book of Poisonous Things

When I was in Maine for Thanksgiving, my mom pulled out some books I wrote when I was a kid. Book of Poisonous Things (dictated to my mother in 1983, the month I turned four) contains some good advice.

"This is playdoh: Do not eat it."

BookofPoisonousThings2AnicaRissi.jpg

"These are leaves from rhubarb. Don't eat them!"

BookofPoisonousThings1AnicaRissi.jpg

"This is dirt. Do not eat dirt; it is not good for you."

BookofPoisonousThings3AnicaRissi.jpg

I'm currently hard at work on a 35th Anniversary Updated Edition, containing many more things you should not eat.

Being back in Maine for a few days was wonderful. Here are our Thanksgiving pies cooling in the kitchen window as the snowstorm begins. Neither the pies nor the snowflakes were poisonous.

SnowPiesAnicaRissi.jpg

11.23.2014: A Gander at Love

I'm honking and flapping with excitement!

"Geese are mean and geese are dumb. But this is not really about geese."

The New York Times just posted an essay I wrote about geese, family, and love. Here's the link: A Gander at Love. Thanks for reading!

Update 11.25.2014: The essay has climbed to number 16 on the NYTimes Most Emailed list. Thanks to all who have read and shared it!

11.22.2014: Happy Roogiversary

Still Crazy After All These Years

Six years ago today, I called my parents to say, "I'm going to be late. I'm adopting a dog."

"Bad idea," my dad said. "Call us when you know what train you'll be on."

Happy Roogiversary, dear Arugula Badidea Rissi. You are still my very best, most terrible idea.

ArugulaBadideaRissi.jpg

(To see more Rooga photos, click here)