Comments on: THE CHRISTMAS EVE ASK MJ MARATHON

By: Anna

Anna — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 21:13:25 +0000

I laughed so hard when you mentioned the creeper bus driver ripping your seat from the floor that I choked on apple and then spat it onto the screen. Gross, but so worth it.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 00:52:44 +0000

I have caught you, Maureen Johnson. You told that story before. The show-and-tell one. You told it on your second ever blog. (I only discovered this because I was rereading. I don't have a creepily accurate memory.) I have uncovered your deceitful repeating of stories!

By: Ink Well Reviews

Ink Well Reviews — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 23:37:48 +0000

My tiny school used to bum rides off of the public school buses (namely Blue Bus), but the town switched us to Pink Bus. It wasn't strange until we got on that bus the first day of the spring semester and the driver (who looked like a fairy god-mother in polyester) says "Hi there! Hey kids? Let's give a great big pink bus welcome to our new rrrrriders!" and all of the kids literally bounced up and down and went "Welcome to Pink Bus!" I feel like that is what a drug experience is like.

The junior high kids in the back used to empty pixie sticks into bags and sell them to "hard-core" fifth graders. Oh. Pseudo-delinquency. Small town life is great for the memories.

And thanks for the gift advice!

By: Madhuuu

Madhuuu — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:26:03 +0000

i just finished suite scarlett in a matter of hours. loved it. will rereadi it as soon as possible.

i bought it without thinking, i was just drawn to it whilst perusing hundreds of YA books at Borders. yours stood out. mainly because i have always wanted to write a story myself of someone living in a hotel (based off of Disney channel shows actually, haha) but still an amazing connection. i am frugal. no thats an understatement...i am cheap. so me buying a book i know nothing about for $9 is something. oh it is something.

thank you for not wasting my money. at all.

By: almost a trap

almost a trap — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:39:25 +0000

i LOVED suite scarlett. it was one of the first books that i've read about teenagers where i didn't immediately think that the author couldn't possibly remember being a kid. and it wasn't cliched and i didn't know where the plot was going all the time. and at the end, they got away with it, which was AWESOME. there was no awkward "you're in trouble" and "ah yes, but we learned…blah blah…family togetherness scene." aka it was brilliant.

side question: when you write, do you go into a story with the intention of saying something about adolescence or life or society or something else abstract? or do you just have this specific story to tell?

By: YA Vampire Books

YA Vampire Books — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 19:44:20 +0000

Hahaha sounds like you had LOTS of creepy bus drivers…ever thought of taking the bicycle instead?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 05:09:44 +0000

This has absolutely nothing to do with Christmas, and apologies if this is too "alternative" a question for your blog, BUT–

What is the best way for a girl to come out to her super-Catholic-Republican mother?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:21:41 +0000

kira92 you make them a little drawing of the present and write under it "you will have this very very soon" (one of my friends just did that) or go 13LBE on them and write clues to what it is until it gets there! that's what i'd do! it's more fun! and makes the cheer last longer!

By: symphonically

symphonically — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:27:44 +0000

Which is better: The Santa Clause, or Santa Claus: The Movie (aka Santa Claus)?

FYI – my favourite method of combatting the Unexpected Gift Crisis: just wrap up a load of shredded paper with a cryptic note that looks like it MIGHT be an IOU. In fact, it doesn't even have to look like an IOU. Just write something PROFOUND. Act offended if they don't give your creative masterpiece the respect it deserves.

By: SarahE

SarahE — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:22:21 +0000

I know your advice always helps me. It's always drastically important and just so RIGHT. I am still trying to figure out exactly how these particular bits of advice will help me, but I know I will come to the answer eventually. I do have a question though: when one's parents are divorced, and Cheer-time is thus divided, how should one spread the CHEER and LOVE without one parent being upset and neglected?