Ever Been the NuGrl?

If there's one thing I love, it's blogs. I love how they give you peeks into people's lives and personalities. I love that you can use them to chronicle the year you got your first horse or all the books you've read about broccoli. I love that they can be a locked, private haven, or a place where the world listens as your ideas take center stage. And I love the New Moon blog because it gives us lots to talk about between issues of the magazine.

Our friend, Cheryl Dellasega, creator of Club and Camp Ophelia, has created the bloggrls series -- novels about girls told in a blog format. One of the coolest things about the first bloggrl books is that a teen girl created all the illustrations. And guess what? Cheryl's publisher is looking for another teen to illustrate upcoming books. Read on to hear it straight from Cheryl.

"If you've ever been new to school, known someone who was new, or face being new in the future, check out the story of Sadie, aka nugrl90, whose life gets turned upside down when her parents split and her mom moves her to a different school district. In ninth grade, the school nurse gave Sadie a diary and suggested she write about her feelings (as if!); instead, she decides to create a blog that chronicles her year as a new girl.

Tenth grade turns out to be a year full of challenges. Sadie has to make a tough decision about the boy she loves and learns her best friend has betrayed her. Meanwhile, at home, her WS (wicked sister) finds endless ways to torment her, but at least her beloved dog, Homer, can always be counted on to provide comfort.

In addition to a "Clicktionary" of blogspeak (send me your favorite saying and I'll send you a t-shirt and cyberframe), the book has illustrations by Karina Lapierre, a teen girl who read the story and got a contract with Marshall Cavendish to provide drawings. Want to be the next girl artist who gets paid to illustrate the next book and has her name on the cover? Go to www.bloggrls.com and find out how. Or, if you're a writer and would like a chance to win an iPod, enter the Bloggrl Writing Contest--more info is also available at www.bloggrls.com"

I know there are some talented artists and writers out there -- I hope you will try your hand at some of the contests! I'd also be happy just to hear your thoughts -- do you keep a blog? Do you think blogs can work the same way as a diary? Have you ever written something in your blog and wished you hadn't? Have you ever found unexpected friends through blogging? Tell us all about it!