Trade reviews for Alone in the Woods have started rolling in, and I’m excited to share what these critics from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal have to say about the girls’ Northwoods adventure:
readers/reception
The Disaster Days Virtual Book Club
The scariest thing about writing The Disaster Days was realizing how the heightened scenario I put my characters in–which really felt like capital-F Fiction when I started working on the book, despite all that research–was, actually, pretty realistic. Natural disasters do happen, and when they do, they turn our worlds upside down.
As we all understand now, pandemics also happen, and they are just as unsettling and devastating.
Readers have reached out to me over the past couple of weeks to share how The Disaster Days has some new layers of resonance and relatedness now that most of us are hunkered down at home. And I started to think that maybe readers–especially young readers–might enjoy discussing Hannah’s story of resilience right now. But, of course, we all need to practice social distancing! #flattenthecurve
So I’d like to host virtual video book club discussions for any interested readers–of all ages, including kids, educators, and parents–on Google Hangouts. Up to 9 readers* and I will discuss the book for a half hour, and there will be time for an open Q&A. The first is scheduled for Thursday, April 2, at 3:30 PM EST–but I’ll keep scheduling sessions if more readers are interested.
How to join? Send me an email and I’ll add you to the list. You’ll receive an email a few days beforehand to confirm. If you’d like to think up some questions or discussion ideas ahead of time, check out the book club discussion guide and other resources.
Hope to see you there, and be well!
*I think Hangouts can only handle 10 email addresses in one video chat. If I’m wrong and the max is higher, there can be more. And please feel free to attend as families, siblings–whoever is in your shelter-in-place pod!
Texas Tour 2019!
Author friend Michelle Schusterman and I had a fantastic time visiting schools and bookstores in the Dallas area this November: Lamar Middle School in Flower Mound; Bowie, Crockett, Lady Bird Johnson, and Lamar Middle Schools in Irving; Barnes & Noble Southlake; and Interabang Books!
We were so impressed by the engaged readers and talented writers we met along the way. Here are a few photos from our tour:
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”7″ display=”basic_slideshow”](Interested in having me, or us, visit your school? Check out my Visits page for more info!)
THE DISASTER DAYS resources for parents and educators
The Disaster Days may be fiction, but natural disasters–like the major earthquake Hannah, Zoe, and Oscar experience–are sadly real. Young readers might have a lot of questions, and some concerns, after reading their story, so I’ve put together a few resources for parents and educators to help them discuss the book with kid readers. You can find (and download) them all on the book’s Resources page, and here’s a description of each:
The Disaster Days Educator Guide: This comprehensive educator’s guide, aligned to the CCSS for grades 4-7, has prereading information, comprehension questions, comprehension activities, and enrichment activities, as well as a list of resources.
The Disaster Days Discussion Guide: This two-page discussion guide is great for small groups and book clubs! It contains some background information about the book, followed by 10 conversation-sparking questions.
The Disaster Days Family Discussion Card: This postcard is a handy “cheat sheet” for grownups who want to talk about what their young reader is reading. One side has a summary about what the story is about; the other side has a few questions to spark a conversation before, during, and after reading the book and also to connect to current events. If you’d like a print copy of this card, contact me!
Around the Blogosphere
The Disaster Days has been making its way around the blogosphere and Bookstagram, and I’m so grateful to the reviewers, bloggers, and bookstagrammers who’ve taken the time to read and then write such thoughtful reviews!
“Really, really enjoyed this!” Ms. Yingling Reads
“This story was truly page-turning and exciting” Tara Creel Books
“I was enraptured enough by this book that I kept getting feelings of sorrow with each thing that happened to them. I wanted to reach into the book and, if nothing else, grab hold of them and let them know it was going to be okay.” Reading Authors
“Are you serious with this book?! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while reading” @TheSmileLines via KidLitExchange
“Rebecca Behrens’s The Disaster Days is a compelling and empowering middle-grade disaster story that will have readers on the edge of their seats and breathless!” Aeicha at Word Spelunking
“Readers who like adventure and wonder what it would be like to live/survive in an earthquake zone will be riveted to every page of Hannah’s story.” The Reading Tub
“Behrens does a great job drawing readers into experiencing the children’s feelings of fear and hopelessness. Each chapter has enough peril and nail biting angst to keep even the most reluctant reader eagerly reading to find out what will happen next to Hannah and her charges.” You Decide: Should I Read It Or Not?
“Very much recommended to anyone who loves kids surviving on their own stories!” Charlotte’s Library
“I really liked how Hannah develops as a character, making mistakes, but doing everything she can to care for herself and the younger children and a cute guinea pig.” Stephanie Tournas, Youth Services Book Review
“The writing was so well done…fun and fresh, and exciting.” The Pages In Between
“Though set in the Pacific Northwest this tense tale of post-earthquake survival is equally relevant to other areas where natural disasters are a constant threat, and may encourage middle grade readers to think and find out about their family and school disaster plans.” Bibliobrit
“This one is a definite must-read, must-have.” Mom Read It
“It’s The Babysitter’s Club meets Hatchet! Enough said.” Miss Print
Check out the amazing emergency kit video from Bookstagrammer @RidaPageTurner!
“Suspenseful reading for students and adults alike!” Ms_D_Reads
“I loved this book and had a hard time putting it down.” The Librarian Is On the Loose
Adventure around the Web
I’ve been busy talking up Bea and Pidge’s grand adventure with fellow book lovers and Amelia enthusiasts online. Here are a few interviews to check out if you’d like to know more about the story and why I wrote it:
Episode 34 of the “Chasing Earhart” Podcast
Interview with MG Book Village
Interview and Fun Facts with YAYOMG!
Straight from the Source: A conversation with Caroline Starr Rose
And here are a few reviews from early and speedy readers!
“Rebecca Behrens writes a touching and heartwarming story chronicling Bea and Pidge’s journey to not only find “Meelie” but also find themselves.” —Beagles and Books
“This is just one of those stories that I did not want to end. The messages it delivers will fill readers with hope – hope for family, believing in the impossible, and finding our true adventurous spirit. The story and characters will stay with readers long after the book is done.” —Zone 114: The Next Chapter
“The Last Grand Adventure transports family drama into an interesting and vibrant time period and shows us that while fashions, types of travel, and acceptable breakfasts (sugar sandwiches!) have changed over the last 50 years, family ties have not.” –Ms. Yingling, YA Books Central
Thanks for reading!
THE LAST GRAND ADVENTURE’s first trade review
Last week, The Last Grand Adventure got its first trade review! Which is always a nerve-racking moment for an author–after so many hours spent crafting a story, it’s time to see it through a reader’s fresh eyes. To my delight, Kirkus loved it, calling Bea and Pidge’s story “a quirky, heart-rending journey” that’s “infused with warmth and brightly developed characters and locales.” My favorite part? That they called its end “a heartbreakingly surprising . . . conclusion.” Surprising and heartbreaking are two adjectives I love to read, so it’s a treat to have a critic apply them to my book.
You can read the full review on Kirkus‘s website here.
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!