Author of award-winning, adventurous realistic and historical fiction

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!

SUMMER Educator Giveaway

May 1, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , , ,

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I wouldn’t be the reader–or the writer–I am today without the influence of many wonderful educators. My childhood teachers and librarians in Madison, WI–at Thoreau Elementary, the Sequoya Library, Cherokee Middle School, and West High–were always putting books in my hands and providing me with a welcoming space to read, learn, and dream.

So to celebrate the paperback release of Summer of Lost and Found on May 23, I’m doing a special giveaway for educators (including teachers, librarians, support staff, and administrators*). Two winners will receive:

  • A reading-group set (10 copies) of Summer of Lost and Found paperbacks
  • Copies of the educator guide and book-club discussion guide (found here)
  • Assorted Summer of Lost and Found and When Audrey Met Alice bookmarks and stickers (great for reading incentives!)

The giveaway starts today and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on May 22. I’ll announce the winners on Tuesday, May 23.

Good luck!

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Note: If you have trouble entering through the Rafflecopter widget above, feel free to leave a comment on this post, and I will manually input your entry. Thanks!

*Not an educator? Feel free to enter on behalf of a school or classroom!

 

Bye, Winter!

Apr 18, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , ,

Happy spring!

I spent most of my winter inside, staring out at the snow (or, more accurately where I live, slush-covered streets) while revising, and revising, and then revising The Last Grand Adventure. (Writing is editing, right?) I did take a break in between rounds to meet up with MG author and friend Lauren Magaziner and try out Dō, a new bakery that specializes in safe-to-eat raw cookie dough. It was delicious–and decadent–and worth the wait in line.

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After I put the finishing touches on The Last Grand Adventure, I got to do some adventuring of my own! I headed to the sunny Caribbean and visited the British Virgin Islands–getting the first stamp in my passport in a long time.

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And I caught up on my reading. Nothing pairs better than the beach and a good book. Next on my to-read list is Erin Entrada Kelly’s Hello, Universe, which I’ve been eagerly awaiting since I heard Erin talk about it at a panel last fall.

I’m starting some new projects now–always an exciting and kinda scary part of the writing process–but taking lots of breaks to check out the spring flowers popping up around the city.

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How are you celebrating spring?

New Scholastic Fiction

Mar 17, 2017 | , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m excited to share that I have two stories appearing in Scholastic’s classroom magazines this month! The March/April issue of Storyworks has “Lost and Found,” realistic fiction that was inspired by my time in the Outer Banks doing research for Summer of Lost and Found.

 

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I love the artwork and photographs that appear with the story–along with all the great questions and resources on the Storyworks website!

For Scholastic Scope, I wrote “What We Left Behind,” an original short story about the infamous Black Sunday dust storm in April 1935. This was a storm so massive and powerful that it carried dirt and debris all the way from the Plains to the Capitol steps in Washington, D.C. But this is also a story about two sisters who are brave enough to fight against the dust to save their family.

 

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If you’ve read either story in your classroom, I’d love to hear what you think!

 

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