Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

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Cover Reveal for THE LAST GRAND ADVENTURE!

Jun 21, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m so excited to share the cover for my next middle-grade novel that I’m skipping an introduction. Here it is!

 

 

Robyn Ng illustrated it, and Laura Lyn DiSiena designed it–the same team that created the beautiful cover for Summer of Lost and Found. And again they perfectly capture the spirit and setting of my book. I love the vintage font (perfect for historical fiction) and the sunset color palette, and the way my characters, Bea and Pidge, are facing out toward the great wide world.

Before I tell you all about The Last Grand Adventure, here’s information on how you can win an ARC and find out (early!) for yourself:

Simply leave a comment on this post to enter–if you’d like an extra entry, you can sign up for my newsletter or tweet about the cover. Full instructions and links below.

About The Last Grand Adventure:

Twelve-year-old Bea finds herself on a unique road-trip with her grandmother as they search for her grandmother’s long-lost sister—the legendary Amelia Earhart—in this charming and poignant novel from the author of When Audrey Met Alice and Summer of Lost and Found.

It’s 1967 and twelve-year-old Bea is in need of some adventure. Her mother is off in San Francisco, while her father has just gotten remarried in Los Angeles. Bea has gained a younger stepsister, and she’s not thrilled about her blended family. So when her ailing grandmother, Pidge, moves to an Orange County retirement community and asks if Bea would spend a few weeks helping her get settled, Bea is happy for any excuse to get away.

But it turns out, her grandmother isn’t interested in settling in. What she really wants is to hop a train back to Atchison, Kansas—where she thinks she’ll be reunited with her long-missing sister: Amelia Earhart. And she wants Bea to be her sidekick on this secret trip.

At first, Bea thinks her grandmother’s plan is a little crazy. But Pidge has thirty years of letters written in “Meelie’s” unmistakable voice, all promising to reunite. This might be the adventure Bea needs . . .

With letters in hand, Bea and Pidge set off on their quest to find Amelia. But getting halfway across the country proves to be more of an adventure than either of them bargained for. And their search for Amelia leads to some surprising truths about their family—and each other.

Early Praise

“I loved traveling alongside Bea and her grandmother Pidge on their grand adventure. Bea learns to embrace courage and sisterly devotion as they draw ever closer to finding Pidge’s missing sister, Amelia Earhart. The mystery kept me thinking–and hoping–long after I finished reading!”
—Caroline Starr Rose, author of Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine
 
“Soaring with the thrill of possibility, The Last Grand Adventure delivers an intimate tale of navigating rough pockets in life’s airspace, chasing dreams, and discovering that the greatest journeys are filled with mystery, risk, setbacks, laughter, and a whole lot of heart.” —Jessica Lawson, author of Waiting for Augusta
 
“Hooray for The Last Grand Adventure, an irresistible blend of historical fact and adventure-filled fiction! Behrens sweeps the reader up with this charming mystery about Amelia Earhart’s whereabouts and the unbreakable bond between sisters. Traveling with Twelve-year-old Bea and her rule-breaking, free spirited grandmother Pidge across America in 1967 was the perfect way to explore timeless lessons about following  dreams, taking risks, persevering, and the unshakable strength of family ties.” —Nikki Loftin, author of Wish Girl

The Details

Coming from Simon & Schuster/Aladdin on March 20, 2018

Historical fiction for ages 8+

ISBN: 9781481496926

Preorder from:

Barnes & Noble
Indiebound
Amazon
Books-a-Million
or your local bookstore (the ISBN is 9781481496926)

And you can add The Last Grand Adventure to your shelves on Goodreads.

ARC Giveaway Instructions (the long version):

To enter to win an ARC, simply leave a comment on this post. Don’t worry if it doesn’t appear right away–my site requires approval for all comments. If you’d like an extra entry, you can sign up for my newsletter or tweet about this cover reveal. Make sure to let me know in your comment if you did one or both of those! This giveaway is open to readers in the US and Canada, and will end on Wednesday, June 28. I’ll announce the winner, chosen randomly, on Thursday, June 29. Good luck, and thanks for entering!

Update: Congrats to Kaitlin Hundscheid, who won the ARC–I’ll send you an email shortly. And thanks, all, for the cover love!

The Reading Season

Jun 6, 2017 | , , , , , ,

Summer is my favorite reading season.* Both in terms of the places you can read (beach, pool, park, hammock, tent, etc.) and the tradition of reading for pleasure. Deep in winter, I start a list of the books I’d like to read once it’s warm and sunny and slower-paced.

Here are some of the titles I’m looking forward to savoring this summer:

Pax

Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine

Orphan Island

The Rocks

Sweetbitter

Do Not Become Alarmed

What’s on your reading list?

*For more on why, I blogged about my summers of book love at the Nerdy Book Club site.

SUMMER is here (at least in paperback)

May 23, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It might be a little chilly and gloomy this week, but Summer is finally here–at least in paperback.

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It was a real treat to come home from a great day at #nErDcampNJ last Saturday and find a package with some early copies inside. It’s the same gorgeous art by Robyn Ng and lovely design by Laura Lyn DiSiena, but there is a surprise inside . . .

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A teaser for my next middle-grade novel, The Last Grand Adventure (which is coming in March 2018 from Simon & Schuster).

I was a huge paperback reader as a kid–and still as an adult. Hardcover editions are beautiful, but they are not so easy to put in a bike basket or a beach bag, or to lug on the subway. I’m excited to think of Nell and Ambrose heading off to camps and swim clubs and cabins in the next few months.

And finally, I have winners to announce for the Educator Giveaway! Jennifer Pickrell and Kristy Guerriero won the reading-group sets. You should have received an email from me, and I’ll get those books and guides to you ASAP. Thanks to all who entered!

Catching up

Feb 12, 2017 | , , , , , , ,

Even though the winter seems long, time is flying by. Have I really not posted since nErDcampLI? Here’s what I’ve been up to lately.

I made a quick trip to Wisconsin for the holidays, where I managed to bake gingerbread cookies:

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And check out the new ice-skating rink on the beautiful, not-quite-frozen-solid Lake Mendota:

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Back in New York, a cool new subway opened:

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But I haven’t spent much time riding it–I spent January working on my revision of The Last Grand Adventure. It was a lot of work, and a lot of fun, to get back into Bea and Pidge’s story. I took occasional breaks to read:

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In early February I turned it in to my editor and then hopped a plane back to Wisconsin to meet my new niece:

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I think she’s pretty adorable. 🙂 I made it back just before a snowstorm hit the city and gave us all a peaceful snow day:

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What have you been up to in these cold, cozy months?

 

 

 

My 2016 in Books

Jan 1, 2017 | , , , , , , , ,

Happy New Year! 2016 brought a lot of good–and some not-so-good–so I’m looking forward to starting fresh today. But one good thing about 2016 was the wonderful books I read. Thanks to Goodreads (which makes a great book log), here are the titles that enriched, engaged, and entertained me over the past year:

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I read 28 kidlit titles, 7 nonfiction titles, and 31 grown-up fiction titles–for my personal reading. I didn’t track how much kidlit I read at my dayjob, but I’m guessing there’s another 30 or so there.

Here’s to a 2017 full of great books! What was your best read of last year?

SUMMER’s launch at Books of Wonder

May 29, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I had a fabulous time celebrating Summer of Lost and Found at Books of Wonder on Tuesday night. Here are some pictures of the festivities:

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It’s always exciting to get to the store and see your cover on the “Event Today!” sign.

 

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Snacks! Real scuppernong juice from Roanoke Island, custom-printed fancy Rice Krispy treats, chocolate artifacts, and more.

 

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With the wonderful Kim Liggett

 

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Books of Wonder has an incredible collection of kidlit art

 

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The crowd while I read one of my favorite passages

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Theories attendees submitted about what really happened to the Lost Colonists

 

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Signing time!

 

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With author friend Alison Cherry

 

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Still signing!

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Taking a bite out of my main character 🙂

If you missed it–you can still purchase a signed copy from Books of Wonder. And I’ll be in Madison, WI, on June 11 for another launch event at Mystery to Me!

 

SUMMER is here!

May 24, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

SUMMER_map_StickerFINALSummer of Lost and Found is on shelves today! Hip hip hooray!

I hope readers will have as much fun discovering the past and present Roanoke Island as I did while writing it. Thanks to everyone who helped get this book into the world, especially: my agent, Suzie Townsend, and her assistant Sara Stricker; and my editor, Alyson Heller, publicist, Faye Bi, and the whole team at Aladdin.

If you’d like a signed copy of Summer and you can’t make one of my events, you can order one from Books of Wonder–or send me an email, and I’ll pop a personalized bookplate for you in the mail.

If you’d like to read a little more about the book and my experiences writing it, here are some interviews, reviews, and guest posts to check out:

A conversation with author Caroline Starr Rose

An interview with author Nikki Loftin

An interview in the InkSplat newsletter

A review from Bookshelf Fantasies

A review from Word Spelunking

Interview with YA Reads

Interview with Pop! Goes the Reader

And last but not least–it’s time to announce the winner of the pre-order giveaway! Annette Burns won the beautiful bag of blurber books and school/library donation. Thanks to all who entered.

Happy Reading!

 

 

The Last Grand Adventure

May 11, 2016 | , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So you might have seen some news in Publishers Weekly this afternoon:

 

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That’s right–I wrote another MG book! The Last Grand Adventure will be in bookstores sometime between January-April 2018. Like When Audrey Met Alice, I created a character based on a real, fascinating woman (in this case, Amelia Earhart, whom I’ve been obsessed with since childhood) and like Summer of Lost and Found, my MG protagonist unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of a history mystery. But for the first time, the whole book is historical fiction. It’s an adventure-ful road trip, a love letter to sisters, and a celebration of spunky grandmas. I loved writing this story, and I can’t wait to share it with you.

I’m thrilled to keep working with Alyson Heller and the Aladdin/Simon & Schuster team again, too! Many thanks to them for giving my books a home, to Suzie Townsend for being such a great advocate for my writing, to Sara Stricker for all her help and encouragement–and especially to readers, who keep us all going!

 

Early Reviews of SUMMER

Mar 19, 2016 | , , , , , , ,

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

Feb 23, 2016 | , , , , , , , ,

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?

My Year in Books!

Dec 31, 2015 | , , , , , , ,

Thanks to Goodreads, it’s easy to step back and look at your year in reading. Here’s mine:

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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!

Dec 4, 2015 | , , , , , , ,

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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!

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