Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

Simon & Schuster

A first for The Last Grand Adventure

Aug 7, 2019 | , , , , , , , ,

I’m thrilled to share that The Last Grand Adventure is a 2019 WILLA Literary Award Finalist in Children’s Fiction and Nonfiction. While writing Bea and Pidge’s story, I hoped their journey would celebrate the beauty and rich culture of the parts of the West they traveled through, from Orange County to Atchison, Kansas. It’s deeply meaningful to receive this honor and know that I succeeded in capturing the setting that so inspired me!

About the award: The WILLA Literary Awards honors the best in literature, featuring women’s or girls’ stories set in the West that are published each year. Women Writing the West (WWW), a non-profit association of writers and other professionals writing and promoting the Women’s West, underwrites and presents the nationally recognized award annually at the WWW Fall Conference. The award is named in honor of Pulitzer Prize winner Willa Cather, one of the country’s foremost novelists.

For more information and to see the other winners and finalists, visit Women Writing the West.

The Last Grand Paperback Adventure

Mar 19, 2019 | , , , , , , , ,

Bea and Pidge are hitting the road again–this time, in a fancy new trade paperback.

Maybe it’s because I often read on the go, as a traveler and a commuter (so lighter books = more I can tuck in my tote), but paperback is my favorite format as a reader. I’m excited to see what adventures Bea and Pidge tag along on in this new format!

Add The Last Grand Adventure to your Goodreads shelf!Order in hardcover, paperback, or e-book from these retailers:
The Last Grand Adventure by Rebecca Behrens at Barnes & Noble The Last Grand Adventure by Rebecca Behrens at Books-a-Million The Last Grand Adventure by Rebecca Behrens at Indiebound The Last Grand Adventure Found by Rebecca Behrens at Indigo The Last Grand Adventure Amazon

The Amelia Earhart Festival

Sep 1, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On July 21, I was thrilled to be a part of the Amelia Earhart Festival–the annual celebration of her birthday in her birthplace of Atchison, Kansas. Readers of The Last Grand Adventure will know what a significant place Atchison was in Amelia’s (and her sister, Muriel’s) life. For me, it was a place I came to know, and love, through research. This passage from Muriel Earhart Morrissey’s biography of Amelia, Courage Is the Price, shows why:

“Midsummer evenings have always been a time of mystic spellbinding for the young. The long August twilights wrought their peculiar magic upon Amelia and me when we were little girls in Atchison. I remember the symphony of summer sounds; the chirping of crickets and of the invisible tree-toads . . . As the last carnation and saffron clouds faded, bats began to dart across the darkening sky, and, as if in defiance of these harbingers of the nightfall, fireflies twinkled in the garden and across the way among the peach and pear trees in the orchard.”

Such a lovely description! How can you read that and not want to write about Atchison in the summertime?

While writing When Audrey Met Alice and Summer of Lost and Found, I was able to visit my settings in person. For The Last Grand Adventure, the closest I’d gotten was Google Earth. So it was incredibly meaningful to see the town for myself, and to meet the warm and welcoming people who live there. And what a weekend to visit–the festival draws in thousands of Earhart experts and enthusiasts and leaders in STEM and aviation fields to celebrate not just Amelia’s birthday but her incredible life and accomplishments. I had a great time sharing my book and also learning so much more about her life and legacy.

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Books and the Beach

Jun 18, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

If you’ve ever read this blog or met me in person, you know two things to be true:

1) I love independent bookstores

2) I love the beach

So combining the two is my dream, right?

Last week it came true: I drove down the East Coast to lovely Bethany Beach for a visit to its fabulous independent bookstore, Bethany Beach Books. On a somewhat chilly (for June) night, I got to meet its beach readers and chat with the friendly staff. It’s really a delightful shop, with an amazing lineup of author events, so if you’re ever in coastal Delaware, you must stop in.

The bookstore!

Ready to chat and sign–and give out historical candy, of course.

The beach and boardwalk

Look at the amazing collection of books for upcoming author events!

My next adventure will be at the Amelia Earhart festival in Atchison, Kansas, on July 21. Can’t wait!

ADVENTURE on the road

May 14, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A picture is worth a thousand words–but unfortunately, I was having so much fun sharing The Last Grand Adventure with readers that I barely took any (other than of books) during my events!

If you missed the AASL webinar I did with school librarian extraordinaire Eileen Makoff and dynamite authors Sara Holbrook and Jo Hackl, you can still listen to it here, on the AASL website: Author Ideas on Integrating Fiction into the Middle-Grade and Middle-School Curriculum.

I had a great time with author friends Michelle Schusterman and Kirsten Hubbard (aka Fox & Coats) at the Voracious Reader in Larchmont, NY–their new series Secrets of Topsea is sweet and zany and so creative.

Later that weekend, I headed down to DC to the awesome Arlington indie One More Page, where Lauren Magaziner, Jonathan Roth, and I had a fun panel:

Lauren also spotted Audrey hanging out at the Amazon bookstore in DC:

The following weekend was nErDcampNJ, which was full of engaging and inspiring talks and workshops. It’s also a super fun chance to meet up with other kidlit authors in real life:

I’m back at home now, working on a new project and resting up for some of the events I have planned this summer–hope to see you there!

Books of Wonder MG panel: May 19

Bethany Beach Books: June 11

Amelia Earhart Festival: July 21

(For more info and updates, check the Events page of my site.)

Launching The Last Grand Adventure

Apr 11, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Time flies when you’re having fun, and when you’re launching a new book. I can’t believe The Last Grand Adventure has already been out for three weeks! It’s been a lot of fun traveling around and talking about Bea and Pidge and Amelia’s adventures. Here’s where I’ve been so far:

I got to share The Last Grand Adventure a little early with readers at Barnes & Noble Neshaminy in Bensalem, PA. Lauren Magaziner, Tae Keller, Jessica Lawson, and I had a lot of fun answering questions and tackling truth-or-dares.

 

On Saturday, March 24, I officially launched The Last Grand Adventure with the help of the fantastic Claire Legrand, at Books of Wonder’s new Uptown store. We had a great talk about writing quietly adventurous MG characters and our own travel experiences. And I turned my book into Rice Krispie treats, because of course.

Airplane dress!

I wonder why we were laughing so hard?

Next I hopped a plane home to Madison, WI, where I met some fantastic young readers at EAGLE School and Thoreau Elementary, my alma mater.

Then celebrated the book’s release with a reading at my hometown indie, Mystery to Me. I forgot to take any pictures at this event other than this “After” one of my book cake. It was the most delicious map I have ever eaten.

You can check out my Instagram for some photos and reposts of Bea and Pidge in the wild. And if you’d still like a chance to have a book signed or meet me in person, I’ll be at The Voracious Reader in Larchmont as well as One More Page in Arlington, VA, this weekend. Check out my Events page for all the details!

 

Adventure around the Web

Mar 22, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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

The Loud Library Lady

“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 begins!

Mar 20, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Last Grand Adventure is on shelves today–hip hip hooray!

I have fond memories of the trips I took as a kid and teen, so it surprised me when, a few years ago, I unearthed my childhood travel journal and found it full of worries. From ghosts in New Orleans to grizzlies in Denali National Park, to spiders in New Mexico and seaweed on Coronado Beach. Yes, I was even afraid of seaweed.

Like me, Bea (the protagonist of The Last Grand Adventure) is more of a natural worrier than a natural adventurer. As she heads off on a planes-trains-and-automobiles journey with her strong-willed and eccentric grandmother, Pidge, Bea is constantly faced with the dilemma of whether or not to yield to her fears. Of course, there’s a pretty tantalizing reason for them to keep going, all the way to Atchison, Kansas: the promise of finding Pidge’s long-lost sister, Amelia Earhart.

Travel opened my eyes to the world beyond my quiet neighborhood, showing me about people and places different than those I had known. As Bea’s journey takes her far across the country, she also experiences that feeling of discovery. The best souvenir, though, is the unexpected bravery she finds inside herself.

At its heart, this story is about the power of both an open mind and an open road. I hope readers will enjoy riding along on Bea and Pidge’s adventure.

Thanks to everyone who helped get this book into the world, especially: my agent, Suzie Townsend, and her assistants, Sara Stricker and Cassandra Baim; and my editors, Alyson Heller and Tricia Lin, publicist, Samantha Benson, and the whole team at Aladdin.

If you’d like a signed copy of Adventure 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.

Bon voyage!

 

 

The Last Grand Adventure news & events!

Mar 15, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s been a busy couple of months–more on that soon! But I’m belatedly excited to share a few more snippets from trade reviews for The Last Grand Adventure:

“Informed by history, Behrens’s narrative treasures family relationships and celebrates courage.” —Booklist

“Normally unadventurous twelve-year-old Bea (“I left my adventure journal empty and my worry journal full”) is a sympathetic narrator as she frets about her place in her newly blended family and her grandmother’s wavering memory. The tantalizing thread of possibility about Amelia Earhart and the letters she—or somebody—has been writing to Pidge adds alluring mystery.” —BCCB

“Historical fiction lovers are in for a treat with this heartfelt tale of discovery and hope. . . . This story has much to love, from the touching development of Bea and Pidge’s relationship to Bea conquering her fears and discovering the appeal of adventure. . . . VERDICT An excellent purchase for readers who enjoy a strong dose of adventure and solid character development in their historical fiction.”—Darla Salva Cruz, School Library Journal

I’m blushing, SLJ! It’s always a great feeling when a reviewer seems to really get the story you were trying to tell. I’m grateful to these reviewers for their thoughtful and insightful reviews.

The Last Grand Adventure will be out next week, and it’s only fitting that I hit the road to share Bea and Pidge’s story with readers. Here are the places I’ll be in March and April:

More events for the summer are in the works: I’ll be at Bethany Beach Bookstore in June and I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be at the Amelia Earhart Festival in Atchison, Kansas, this July! I’ll keep the Events page of my site updated with all the details. 

Pre-order giveaway for THE LAST GRAND ADVENTURE

Feb 20, 2018 | , , , , , , , , , ,

The Last Grand Adventure will be out in a month, and I can’t wait!

But did you know that you can buy a copy today? Pre-ordering books is a great way to support both authors and booksellers. Author Lisa Schroeder tells all the reasons why in this helpful post, but in short:
–Pre-orders can help a bookstore decide whether to stock a book
–Pre-orders can help the author get more marketing support from a publisher
–Pre-orders can help a publisher decide whether to sign up more books from an author

Basically, readers who pre-order books are helping out all the people who make and sell books! As a thank-you, everyone who pre-orders a copy will receive The Last Grand Adventure swag:

–a signed and personalized bookplate
–stickers featuring both the beautiful cover art and the adventure map
–a bookmark
–a super shiny postcard
–bonus pieces of When Audrey Met Alice and Summer of Lost and Found swag 
How to pre-order and get your swag:

1. Order The Last Grand Adventure from the retailer of your choice. Here are links to major retailers:

If you’d like to purchase from your local indie, that is extra great! Just ask a friendly bookseller to order you a copy. In case you need it, the book’s ISBN is: 9781481496926.

2. Email me before March 20, 2018 with the following info: Name, mailing address, instructions on how to personalize your bookplate, and proof-of-purchase (e.g., screenshot of an order confirmation or receipt, or forward the order in your email). Feel free to delete or blur any personal info, but I promise I will not use or save any info you send me.

Also let me know if you’d like to be added to my mailing list. I send out a newsletter about 4 times a year, and I will never share your email.

3. That’s it! I will email you to confirm once I’ve put your pre-order swag in the mail.

Thank you for your support, and happy reading!

THE LAST GRAND ADVENTURE’s first trade review

Dec 10, 2017 | , , , , , , , ,

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.

 

 

ARCs! And some other stuff

Sep 28, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

Time flies when you’re having fun–I can’t believe summer is over, and September almost is, too. It was a busy month:

The new Books of Wonder opened! I love both stores, but it’s so exciting to have a children’s bookstore (and its awesome events) uptown.

Of course I visited Nell and Ambrose when I stopped by to check out the new space.

Meanwhile, at the downtown location, I went to a fabulous panel with Tara Dairman, Jessica Lawson, Alison Cherry, and Tracey Baptiste. Lots of author friends were there–we even had a mini reunion of our 2014 debut author group. Here we are: Jessica Lawson, Tara Dairman, Lauren Magaziner, me, and Michelle Schusterman. We all have new MG releases in either 2017 or 2018!

Speaking of new releases, I got a delightful surprise from the UPS man one morning: ARCs (advance reader copies) of The Last Grand Adventure!

Aren’t they pretty? It’s so exciting to finally see this story in book form. 

Now it’s back to work on some new projects, and starting to think of fun ways to share The Last Grand Adventure with readers. 

What have you been up to lately?

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