Around the Web
March is Reading Month, and I am really excited to share in The Hiding Spot‘s Growing a Reader series to celebrate it. I wrote about three of my formative reading experiences–which made me the reader and writer that I am today. You check out my post here, and find out more about this wonderful and thoughtful series here!
For Word Spelunking’s March MG Madness, I shared my top ten MG titles about real people and real places. (Did I miss some of your favorites? Let me know!) There’s also a giveaway for a pre-order of Summer of Lost and Found, along with personalized swag. It runs until 4/3, so hurry over to the post and entry form!
And finally, I’m so excited that The Rumpus is sending out my Letter for Kids this month. I wrote about one of my favorite things when I was a middle-grader–manatees–and how the things I loved as a kid are still part of my life today, as a grown-up. Letters for Kids is such a cool program; information about subscribing is at the link!
Blurbs!
I’m excited to share two wonderful blurbs for Summer of Lost and Found, from two writers whose work I adore.
Jodi Lynn Anderson has written two of my all-time favorite books, Tiger Lily and My Diary from the Edge of the World. Lately whenever I meet up with another MG reader, I immediately ask: Have you read Diary yet?! It’s a story with so much heart and creativity, and it has a collection of lovable and funny and complex characters. It’s poignant and funny and surprising. And I’d follow the Lockwood family just about anywhere.
Caroline Starr Rose wrote May B. and Blue Birds, which is a verse historical novel about a Roanoke Island. Blue Birds was published while I was working on Summer of Lost and Found, and I decided to wait until my book went to copy edits before reading it. It was really the best reward. The book is rich in historical detail, beautiful and moving writing, and a powerful theme of friendship and understanding. I’m really excited that Caroline and I had a great conversation about writing Roanoke–including the research process, the facts we found most fascinating, and our own feelings about what really happened to the Lost Colony. I’ll let you know when we share it on her site in May.
So here are the blurbs:
“I was edge-of-my-seat interested while reading Summer of Lost and Found. Rebecca Behrens has the ability to make the past irresistible and weave it into a present-day story that will satisfy fans of both mystery and adventure.” —Caroline Starr Rose, author of Blue Birds
“A sweet, sparkling setting, a historical riddle, and a quirky cast make this little gem of a mystery a pure pleasure to read.” —Jodi Lynn Anderson, author of My Diary from the Edge of the World
I’m so grateful to Caroline and Jodi for reading Summer and sharing their thoughts. And if you haven’t already–go get their books!
Early Reviews of SUMMER
It often feels like forever until a book comes out (thanks to all those hours spent writing, revising, and revising, and revising). And then suddenly the book’s first trade review arrives and, whoa! You realize publication is only two months away.
I’m excited to share the first two trade reviews for Summer of Lost and Found: Kirkus said, “the mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke becomes an engaging backdrop for a preteen experiencing her own losses” and praised, “this blend of history with mystery and fantasy with realism is a good find indeed.” Hooray!
And School Library Journal noted, “Behrens’s deft writing gives the book substance. . . . This intriguing mix of historical and realistic fiction with a dash of the paranormal makes this well-written novel appealing to a wide range of middle grade readers.” Thanks, SLJ!
It’s always a little nerve-wracking to get early feedback, so I’m thrilled that these reviewers enjoyed Summer. I certainly had a wonderful time researching and writing Nell and Ambrose’s story, and I’m excited to share it with readers on May 24.
I’ll have some more news soon–about blurbs and book launches. Stay tuned!
Recent Reading
I spent January and February speeding through the stack of MG/YA ARCs I picked up at ALA Midwinter. And if these ten books are any indication, 2016 is going to be an amazing year for kid lit. Here’s what I read, and in one(ish) sentence, I’ll tell you why I loved it:
Ravenous: I raced through this adventure-ful fairy tale reimagining–and I adored Greta, who is one brave, determined sister.
The Key to Extraordinary: Every word of this book is beautiful, and my heart felt so full after the pages I spent in Blackbird Hollow.
Up to This Pointe: A story that seamlessly blends ballet, Antarctica, and grief–it’s utterly original, the voice is perfect, and I loved it.
I Woke Up Dead at the Mall: Quirky, dry-witted, and poignant–and points for an awesomely unique title.
The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary: Diverse and in verse!
Makoons: The latest in The Birchbark House series, this was an engaging and informative story of family life on the Great Plains.
Tru & Nelle: Harper Lee and Truman Capote as kid detectives: Yes.
The Darkest Corners: Compulsively readable, and the ending–DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!
Counting Thyme: Thyme and her family–and all the wonderfully drawn characters–will stay with you for a long time.
Wanderlost: Sweet and swoony story of the power of travel to change you.
Which books are you looking forward to this year?
New Short Story: Lost & Found
I’m excited to share that I have a new short story in the February 2016 issue of Scholastic Scope magazine! “Lost & Found” was inspired by some of the research I did for Summer of Lost and Found. Here’s a sneak peek at the first page:
And here’s a teaser about the story:
A brother and sister find treasure from an ancient shipwreck. The laws say it’s not theirs to keep—but would anyone know if they did?
To find out more about Scope magazine, visit its website here.
The Big Snow
You may have heard that the East Coast was walloped with a snowstorm this weekend. As a Wisconsinite, the sound of snowplows scraping the pavement and snowblowers bustling down the blocks made me feel happily at home. I had a great time watching the snow from indoors, while writing and reading and making cookies. But I did venture outside–I had to see the record-breaking snow for myself! Here are some scenes from the city during and after the snow:
Half-buried car on an empty avenue
Sledders heading to the park, during the storm
More sledders in the street
Silent night
The snowy streets were magical
Another quiet street
The next morning: Do you want to build a snowman?
Frozen Citibikes
Sledding!
24 Hours at ALA Midwinter
Last weekend, I hopped on Amtrak and headed up to Boston for the ALA Midwinter conference. (The ride is actually pretty scenic, as the train hugs the coastline through Connecticut and Rhode Island, so you can see the ocean, ferries and fishing boats, and charming towns like Mystic along the way.) It was a quick trip–I got in on Friday afternoon and twenty-four hours later I was already chugging back to New York. But what a great twenty-fours hours they were!
On Friday I got to meet up with some fellow New Leaf Literary authors and our agents, Suzie Townsend and Pete Knapp. Here’s Team New Leaf:
We spent our evening enjoying wine and chocolate at a shmancy party with some fantastic librarians. And I mean enjoying it–the spread involved a make-your-own chocolate crepe bar! But the best part, of course, was getting to talk about books with our librarian friends. I love hearing about what they’re reading, what library life is like, and which books their readers adore.
The next morning, I got breakfast with the Aladdin/Simon Pulse team before heading to the exhibit floor. I’d say being on the floor is like being a kid in the candy store, but as a child my excitement level would’ve been at the same height for a candy store or a bookstore. It was so fun running around seeing all the shiny new titles on display and running into other book people. I gathered enough ARCs that I have a huge bruise on my left shoulder from the tote bag–but it’ll heal, and it’s worth it. (Once I finish them, I have a school librarian in mind to share them with.)
To top it all off, I had just enough time before my train to run into Faneuil Hall and grab a slice of Boston Cream Pie for the road. When in Boston, right? 🙂
My Year in Books!
Thanks to Goodreads, it’s easy to step back and look at your year in reading. Here’s mine:
So many great books, and I kept up with my personal reading goal of a book a week.
Per the handwritten book log I keep in my planner, it looks like I read 20 MG books, 9 YA, and the rest were adult. Only 5 were nonfiction–although I may have read a few more titles as research that didn’t make it into my Goodreads/booklog.
Goals for 2016? Keep trying to read more diverse books, more books in genres I don’t usually gravitate toward (like fantasy), and a little more nonfiction. I’m also planning to read the Elena Ferrante novels because I haven’t met a single reader who hasn’t gushed about them.
And I’d always love to read more, in general. But considering I revised Summer of Lost and Found twice, finally sent a shiny new manuscript to my agent, presented at a conference, and worked hard at my day job–I’m proud of how many titles I still read!
How was your year in books?
WAMA on sale!
One of the ways I discover new books is the “Weekly Bestsellers under $4.99” section on my iPad. The vast majority of books I read are print, but I still love to browse that section and find titles I might not take a chance on otherwise. Recent sale books I’ve loved? INTO THE FOREST, HAMLET’S BLACKBERRY, BIG LITTLE LIES, and THE ISLE OF YOUTH.
So it’s exciting to think about other readers being introduced to Audrey and Alice through this discount. Here are links to the e-books at B&N and Amazon, if you know a reader who wants to take a chance on a new MG!
AASL15
Last weekend I made the trip to Columbus, Ohio (a lovely city!) for the AASL National Conference. My husband and I drove from NYC, and even though we aren’t really car people anymore, it was fun to wind through the Pennsylvania mountains and catch some late fall color. You can see the pretty red leaves behind this shot of a Summer of Lost and Found sampler:
Which was this gorgeous tree:
On Friday morning, Gayle Rosengren and I did our presentation, “Making It Real,” for a great group of school librarians. We shared historical-fiction programming ideas that appeal to many different types of learners, and if you’d like to hear about them, send me an email! I’m happy to share our slides and handouts, including a list of recommended MG historical fiction. Here’s an example of the LIBRARY planning template that Gayle created:
After our presentation, Gayle and I headed over to the Authorpalooza signing booth. I wish I’d thought to have someone take our picture, but sadly I was too focused on chatting with the awesome school librarians. 🙂 I do have some pictures of When Audrey Met Alice at AASL, though!
After the conference wrapped up for the day on Friday, I had just enough time to pop over to North Market for celebratory Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream–which was the perfect finish to a great day. And, of course, I had to pick up one of these for the road home!
Rebecca Behrens, Author | Site content copyright © 2023 | Privacy Policy