How to Make Friends in China

Posted on October 1, 2013 by lenorelook

Dear Readers,

Staying in one place in China for a month is a very different experience than hopping around from city to city. The best thing about it is you get to make friends! Making friends in China is not that different from making friends anywhere else. The Chinese are generally quite informal like Americans. They say hey, and then they hang out. When you buy something from someone, the next time they see you, hey, you’re a friend! And you didn’t even know it. And if you stay with a family, like I did, you really become family and get included in everything they do, even going to visit a sick grandchild in the hospital.

When you’re an author, making friends and becoming family is very important. Your inspiration and ideas will often come from these relationships. So here are some tips and helpful hints on HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS IN CHINA 🙂 ! Continue reading →

You Know You’re a Chinese Villager When . . .

Posted on September 24, 2013 by lenorelook

Dear Readers,

Living in a Chinese village is very different from living in my American village of Hoboken, NJ.

First, there are 50,000 souls crammed into my American village of one-square mile. This means you don’t see the same people every day. Some days you don’t even see anyone you know, but you see people everyday, on every inch of sidewalk, everywhere.

In the Chinese village of Wangzhiguo, there are maybe 300 souls, most of them young kung fu students, living in this cul-de-sac not on any map. The area is about two city blocks long by one city block wide, at most. This means that you see the same people everyday, and they see you. If you get tired of seeing them, you can climb to the opposite hill, where you can see the village as a silent cluster of gray buildings in the distance (in the center below): Continue reading →

Warning: scary photos! scary everything!

Posted on September 16, 2013 by lenorelook

Dear Readers,

If you are squeamish, stop here. Do not read this post.

If you are still reading, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

This starts mild enough, but it gets worse and worse. Quickly.

Then it goes from worse to I-can’t-believe-you-drank-that, before it gets better.

I kid you not. Continue reading →

Returning to Shaolin

Posted on September 12, 2013 by lenorelook

Dear Readers,

I am not so good at blogging and working on my books at the same time. When I’m doing one, the other tends to suffer. Hence, the delays between posts. I’m definitely not a daily blooger, not even a weekly one. But at last, after finishing the first round of copyedits on my next Alvin Ho book, I’m back to tell you a little more of my latest adventures in China . . . Continue reading →

What I Did Last Summer

Posted on September 4, 2013 by lenorelook

Dear Readers,

Is the end of summer leaving you feeling sad and melancholy? Do you wish you could begin summer all over? Do you dread having to wear clothes again and going back to school? Worse, are you worried about that perennial first assignment, “What I Did Last Summer”?

You are not alone.

When you’re an author, and you haven’t written a single word all summer on account of you were taking a break from authoring, you feel this way too. Now It’s time for me to put my clothes on and go back to work. But first, let me tell you What I Did Last Summer. Maybe it’ll give you some ideas to use in your own essay 😉 — Continue reading →

New York Times Book Review

Posted on August 23, 2013 by lenorelook

I got back from a month in China yesterday, just in time to get my own hard copy of this Sunday’s New York Times Book Review which features BRUSH OF THE GODS! Hooray! What a spectacular welcome back! Thank you, Dan Yaccarino, who wrote the review.

I shall tell you about my research in China in a separate post(s), when I’ve recovered from my travels. For now, you can read the review here.

Ruby Lu, Star of the Show by Lenore Look, illustrated by Stef Choi

Posted on July 14, 2013 by lenorelook

Hooray! Terry Hong over at the Smithsonian’s BookDragon blog has given my latest Ruby Lu book lots of love. Many thanks, Terry!!!

International Reading Association Guest Blog

Posted on July 12, 2013 by lenorelook

The International Reading Association asked me to write a piece for their blog on how I draw upon my family history in the creative process and how I do research. You can read it here.

Enjoy! xxoo