Confessions from the Principal's Kid -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“When describing nature, a writer should seize upon small details, arranging them so that the reader will see an image in his mind after he closes his eyes. For instance: you will capture the truth of a moonlit night if you’ll write that a gleam like starlight shone from the pieces of a broken bottle, and then the dark, plump shadow of a dog or wolf appeared.” 

~ Anton Chekhov ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Looking for some words to make the time period in your book more believable? Check out Grammar Girl’s post HERE about a site and book that can help you out. 

I think all writers think about their protagonist first and build from there, but Steven Pressfield makes a good argument HERE to Start With the Villain. 

Tina Ann Forkner has a guest post HERE on Writers in the Storm that will help you have a grand opening in your book. Check it out. 

I will be absent next week. I mentioned in an earlier post that I was accepted to the SCBWI mentor program for this year, and next weekend is the conference. Unfortunately, it is in Las Vegas, not my favorite place, but it should be an exciting time otherwise. My exchange student will fly in Saturday and keep herself entertained during conference time, but when it's over, we will drive to the Grand Canyon for a day, then home. I have never been to the Grand Canyon in the winter, and going there is high on her bucket list so that should be fun too. 

Last week I offered a copy of Spy on History: Victor Dowd and the World War II Ghost Army illustrated by Scott Wegener to one of you. This week, Susan May Olson is our winner. Congratulations, Susan! If you aren't familiar with Susan, you can check out her blog Time Travel Times Two HERE. Guess what her favorite genre is. Anyway, she has great book reviews there. Her debut middle-grade novel, Time Jump Coins came out last year and is available on Amazon. It's a fun read. Susan, I will get your book out to you soon. For the  rest of you, please keep reading. I have another giveaway.

A couple months ago I ran across Confessions from the Principal's Kid by Robin Mellom on the list for review books for the San Francisco Book Review. The title alone was irresistible for me. Some of the best books I've read have focused on kids whose parents have positions that really impact the kids' lives. I ordered it right up and am glad I did. This is a fun read. Here is the review I wrote for SFBR.

Allie, a fifth-grader, has had her world changed mightily. You’d think talking with one’s mother wouldn’t be a big deal in terms of school life, but if your mother is the principal, one conversation can change everything. Allie lost her best friend and feels adrift in school, but after school, she is quite connected. The Afters are kids whose parents work at the school, and the kids all stay late while their parents finish work. Allie has discovered every shortcut possible and, in addition to the Afters, has found a good friend in the custodian. When Allie gets her wish and is assigned to a partners project with her former best friend, she thinks it’s her big chance to make things right, but she may lose much more than she gains.

Author Robin Mellom, in her author’s note, tells of her life as a principal’s kid,

Robin Mellom

and that experience gives her work clear authenticity. The voice of Allie is pitch-perfect for a girl of that age and circumstance. Her experiences will strike a chord with her intended audience and beyond. The writing is crisp, and the story is smart, funny, and sometimes heartbreaking. Don’t miss this one.

I have a gently-read hardback for of this for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Greg Pattridge's blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Wicked Bugs -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”

~ Bertold Brecht ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Literary agent Rachel Stout has a great guest post HERE on Nathan Branford’s blog about how to personalize a query. This is an important post. 

Stuart Horowitz wrote a guest post HERE for Guide for Literary Agents that might convince you to dig out an old manuscript and dust it off. 

Janice Hardy always has something important to say. The post HERE will keep you from the problem of contrived plots and is something we all need to keep top of mind. 

This week I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at the Annual Conference on Creative Writing at Pacific. Pacific in this case refers to the University of Pacific in Stockton, CA. I hadn't heard of this conference before, but this is the fifth year. I wish I had heard of it sooner. First, it was very inexpensive, and as part of the registration fee I was able to enter my novel manuscript in a contest with a chance for a $500 prize and the possibility of being published by a small press in Stockton. Second, it is only an hour's drive from my home, so I didn't need a hotel. Third, the workshops were simply terrific. I had lots of choices, attended eleven workshops, and only was disappointed one time. I met some lovely people and even got to pitch my novel to three agents. One said, "No thanks." One said, "Cut your word count and then send it to me." And one said, "Send it to me." Yup. Send a full! I also got a terrific idea for a non-fiction picture book during a presentation by the head of archives at the UoP library. If you live in the area, check this one out next June. Oh, and I met a lovely young woman, 16 years old, who attended most of the same workshops I attended, paid attention, took notes, and asked really good questions. She is working on a YA historical novel and already has a finished first draft! At 16! I was so impressed. I'm pretty sure I will see her name on published books one of these days soon. It was a great three days for me.

Last week, I offered a hardback copy of Innocent Heroes: Stories of Animals in the First World War by Sigmund Brouwer to one of you. This week's winner is John Smith. Congratulations, John! (Hmmmm. I wonder if that is a pseudonym.) Anyway, he read and commented and got lucky. John, I will send the book out to you soon. For the rest of you, please keep reading. I have a fun one to give away this week. 

I am always fascinated when I run across a middle-grade book that I know will get reluctant boy readers to open it. When I saw Wicked Bugs by Amy Stewart come up on the list for the San Francisco Book Review, I requested it immediately. I knew if it would make my stomach do flips, it would be perfect for young boys. Oh, yeah. Serious flips and a couple of bad dreams. The boys will love this and some brave girls will as well. Here is the review I wrote for SFBR of this novel non-fiction. (Haha! Catch that play on words? Hmmmm?)

Some bugs are annoying, some are destructive, some cause pain, and some are downright deadly. This book has six sections — Deadly Creatures, Everyday Dangers, Unwelcome Invaders, Destructive Pests, Serious Pains, and Terrible Threats — that invite young readers into the world of the unpleasant side of bugs. No cute little ladybugs or lightning bugs here. No. Instead readers will discover flies that lay their eggs in a fire ant with larva that will proceed to eat the ants brain until it’s head falls off or worms that live in human intestines for as long as twenty years or even mites that live their whole lives under the skin of people causing terrible itching and rash.

This book is perfect for kids who have an interest bugs but are not squeamish.

Amy Stewart

Boy readers more than girls will like this, and reluctant readers will be drawn in. The writing is lively and fun. Author Amy Stewart has chosen well with the creatures she has included, and it is clear she knows her stuff about bugs. Full-color drawings by illustrator Briony Morrow Cribbs will make the squeamish even more so and the non-squeamish perfectly happy. This is a bug lover’s delight.

I have a gently-read ARC of this book to share with one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Reformed -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, 

no surprise in the reader.” 

~ Robert Frost ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Randy Ingermanson can help you understand how to start and end a scene HERE. 

Donna Galanti wrote a gust post HERE on Writers in the Storm about how to find your childlike wonder and bring it into your writing for children. 

Having any trouble with writer’s block? Sue Heavenrich has a great post HERE to help you out. 

As summer begins in earnest, I should warn you I might disappear now and again from blogging, but I will be back whenever that happens. I have a couple of writer's conferences I will attend, and I might take my grandchildren on a road trip to Colorado. 

Last week, I had the pleasure of reviewing Susan May Olson's new book, Time Jump Coins. The winner of the ARC is Danielle Hammelef, who always shares my link for extra chances. Thanks for doing that, Danielle. It works! Congratulations to you! I will get the book out to you this week. If you didn't win, I do have another giveaway, so please keep reading. 

I am a sucker for books with bullies. It always makes for such interesting conflict. When I saw Reformed by Justin Weinberger on the list of books available for review from San Francisco Book Review, I snapped it up. I wanted to show you how cute the cover for this book is, but I was not able to get the image from anywhere. Not that it wasn't where I could see it, but try as I might, I couldn't get it to copy in a usable format. If you click on the title, you can see it at Barnes and Noble or if you click on the author's name, you can see it at his site. Here is the review I wrote for SFBR. 

Ian Hart ends up in trouble the last day of middle school. The teacher had given a writing assignment, but Ian didn’t get it done. At lunch, one of his “friends,” Devon, plays a cruel trick on a boy named Max. Devon gets Ian to trade lunch with him. It’s not difficult since Ian’s mother packed him a peanut butter sandwich even after Ian begged her not to. Devon gives the sandwich to Max, who is highly allergic to peanuts and immediately goes into anaphylactic shock, nearly dying. The boys are found out, and, because it is so serious, Devon, Ian, and two other boys are sent to a reform summer camp. It is there Ian learns a lot about what true friendship is and how cruel bullies can be.

Justin Weinberger

Author Justin Weinberger seems to have some experience with middle-school bullies and how they work. This is an excellent portrait of bullies and their methods and meanness. It’s not a perfect book, as some of it stretches readers’ credulity, but it is pretty effective at getting its core messages across. The writing is good and the characters fully developed and believable. Middle-grade readers will like this.

I have a gently-read ARC of this book to share with one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Mango Delight -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
~ Herman Cain ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Editing? Aren’t we all always? HERE are 25 Editing Tips for Tightening Your Copy.  

Anne R. Allen’s blog has a post HERE that many of us will find helpful: Rejection and Failure: Why There’s a Difference and Why Neither Means You Should Quit. 

I just love this post from Janice Hardy on “minitagonists.” I have plenty of them in my book and am glad to have them validated HERE. 

Last week I offered a copy of Big and Little Questions (According to Wren Jo Byrd) by Julie Bowe to one of you. Danielle Hammelef always shares the link on my blog for extra chances. This week it paid off for her. Congratulations, Danielle! I will send out your book this week. Thanks for always reading, commenting, and sharing my link. For the rest of you, please keep reading. I have another giveaway for you.

I ran across Mango Delight by Fracaswell Hyman as I perused the list of available books for review from the San Francisco Book Review. The title caught my attention and, honestly, so did the author's name. When I read a synopsis, I grabbed it off the list. Here is the review I wrote for SFBR.

Mango Delight Fuller and her best friend, Brooklyn, seem to be the only two middle-school girls without cell phones. They are BFFs and get through waiting for this great status symbol together, but Brooklyn suddenly gets a phone and moves on to a stuck-up clique Mango and Brooklyn always referred to as Cell-belles, leaving Mango in her dust. Then Mango finds out Brooklyn has broken Mango’s trust in the worst way. An unfortunate cell-phone accident occurs that changes everything — not just for Mango and Brooklyn, but for her family as well. Brooklyn signs Mango up on the audition list for the school play, probably thinking she will embarrass herself, but quite the opposite happens. Lots of fun and interesting twists and turns.

Author Fracaswell Hyman has built a fascinating story for middle-graders with

Fracaswell Hyman

well-rounded, believable characters and a story that will keep readers turning pages. Unfortunately, the voice sounds more like someone 35 than someone 12 and the slang used by the young characters throughout will make this book seems out of date in no time at all. 

I have a gently-read ARC of this book to share with one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Scar Island -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

~ Thomas A. Edison ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Jessica Strawser has an interesting post on Writers in the Storm HERE about Acting Out of Character and how that can add interest and layers to our writing. 

Janice Hardy always has such great stuff on her blog, Fiction University. The one HERE is all about How to Write with a Teen Voice. It’s chock full of good info. 

If you are confused about plot and why it’s so critical, you will want to read the post HERE by K. M. Weiland.

I know I disappeared last week. It was my birthday and one of my former students gave me tickets for a San Jose Sharks game (that's hockey, folks, in case you don't know). I took my grandson and was gone until very late. Even though my team lost in overtime, it was a great game and we had a lot of fun. Anyway, I'm back!

Last time I showed up here, I promised a copy of Garvey's Choice by Nikki Grimes to one lucky winner. This time, our winner is Myra. Congratulations, Myra! I will get your book out to you soon. Thanks for reading and commenting. I have another book to giveaway, so everyone please keep reading.

I am always searching for terrific middle-grade books, especially those that will engage boy readers. When I ran across a new mystery-adventure available for review for the San Francisco Book Review, I grabbed it. It is Scar Island by Dan Gemeinhart, and I love it's nod to several classic novels. Here is the review I wrote for SFBR.

Jonathan Grisby has been sent to Slabhenge, a reform school for boys. It used to be an insane asylum and is on an island in some very rough seas. Run by by the Admiral and a crew of nefarious men, it might seem that the inmates have taken over the asylum. When a crazy accident kills all the adults, the boys are on their own. They are prepared to send a rescue message with the mail boat that comes every day when a few decide it might be interesting to just be on their own for awhile, so they trick the mail boat driver and form their own little society. That’s when things get interesting. 

Author Dan Gemeinhart takes a helping of Shutter Island and mixes it with a bit

Dan Gemeinhart

of Treasure Island and a huge dollop of Lord of the Flies to create a contemporary middle-grade novel that will capture its intended audience and keep them turning pages until the surprising and exciting climax. This is a terrific book, and middle-grade boys — those boys that are so hard to get to read a book — especially will love it.

I have a gently-read ARC for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Garvey's Choice -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

"A successful book is not made of what is in it, 

but of what is left out of it” 

~ Mark Twain ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Lisa Cron has a brilliant post HERE on backstory. Don’t miss this one.

Sarah Albee has a great post HERE that will help you inject humor into your writing — always a bonus. 

The Editor’s Blog has a terrific post HERE on The Perspective from Inside the Character. Really good stuff. 

I have mentioned here that my older daughter, Maggie, is an actor. I received a note from her today telling me that she has a show airing next Sunday on Investigation Discovery. The show title is Evil Lives Here: My Secret Life. You should be able to search for it and set it up to record. In case you missed the earlier show she did for them, you can watch it HERE. She was murdered on that episode (YIKES!). These are not for the kiddies, by the way.

Last week I offered a fun book to one of you called Totally Wacky Facts About History by Cari Meister. This week's winner is stephie5741 who, it turns out, is Stephanie Faris, author of the Piper Morgan picture book series as well as other books. You can check out her blog HERE. Congratulations, Stephanie! I will get the book out to you this week. For the rest of you, I have another fun giveaway, so please keep reading.

I am becoming more and more enchanted by novels in verse. When I had a chance to review Garvey's Choice, a new novel in verse by the wonderful Nikki Grimes, I jumped at the chance. I was not disappointed. It is positively magical and truly amazing. This is my review for the San Francisco Book Review.

Garvey has a lot to deal with in his life — he is overweight, he has a sister who is a natural athlete, something Garvey’s father wishes Garvey was, and he has to deal with middle-school bullies. But Garvey has a best friend, Joe, who really gets him and helps him deal with all his adversity. Lunchtime is the best time for Garvey because he spends it with Joe and because he gets to eat, but when Joe’s schedule is changed, Garvey is alone again. Joe encourages Garvey to join the chorus. Garvey has a great voice and he makes a new friend, a boy with albinism, who helps Garvey learn to deal with the bullies. Garvey’s real success is in chorus, where he finds his voice in more ways than one. 

Nikki Grimes has written an entire novel in tanka poems. It is so beautifully

Nikki Grimes

written, readers will be lost in the lyrical lines. Young readers, often reluctant to read poetry, will be so taken with the well-developed story and engaging characters, they will forget it is all poems. This lovely book deserves to and will garner wide readership among the middle-grade set.

I have a gently-read hardback copy for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Totally Wacky Facts About History -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“By perseverance the snail reached the ark.”

~ Charles Haddon Spurgeon ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Sometimes I feel like I should link every one of Kristen Lamb’s blog posts. Seriously. And she always makes me laugh. Don’t miss the one HERE with six good hints to clean up your own manuscript. 

We all have nefarious characters in our books. The more nefarious the better. Even middle-grade isn’t to young for a good psychopath. Writer’s Digest has a guest post HERE by British thriller writer Peter James about making your villains evil enough. 

The art of seduction shouldn’t be overlooked in middle-grade writing. No, not THAT kind of seduction. The kind that pulls readers in. HERE is a great post on Writers in the Storm on that topic. 

I don't write often here about picture books, but I do love them, I write them, and I read them voraciously. I recently won a wonderful picture book from the Writer's Rumpus blog (check it out HERE) called Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark written by Heather Lang and illustrated by Jordi Solano. It is a fascinating non-fiction, beautifully illustrated picture book that will encourage youngsters to follow their dreams. Check it out. 

Last week I offered a paperback copy of the fabulous Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles by Shari Green to one of you. This week's winner is Joanne Fritz. Congratulations, Joanne! If you don't know Joanne, she is a children's writer from Pennsylvania who blogs at My Brain on Books HERE.  She has wonderful book reviews and one of the most interesting About Me sections I've ever read. If you didn't win, please keep reading. I have another fun giveaway.

This week I have a particularly fun non-fiction middle-grade book for you. It is Totally Wacky Facts About History by Cari Meister. I love history, so this one was a must-have for me when I saw it on the available list for the San Francisco Book Review. Here is the review I wrote for them. 

A great many youngsters will turn their noses up at anything that has to do with history, so when parents, teachers, and librarians can find a book that will engage younger middle-grade readers with lots of interesting tidbits of history, it is bound to be a big hit. Every page in this book has fun graphics or illustrations along with one or two quick facts about history. What kid wouldn’t be interested in knowing things like the fact that unusual jobs in the ancient world included armpit-hair plucker, or that after pulling a rotten tooth an ancient Roman dentist would fill the hole with rotten fish, or that Winston Churchill often had important meetings in his bedroom because he really loved his bed, or that Leonardo da Vinci could draw with one hand while he was not only writing, but writing backwards, with the other hand? This will be a hit with all youngsters but especially reluctant readers. It’s fun, it’s fast, and it’s full of lots of astonishing information. The jazzy illustrations and bright graphics decorating the pages will draw readers through and keep those pages turning.

Cari Meister

I have a gently-read paperback for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.

Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles -- Review and Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“Don't say it was delightful; make us say delightful when we've read the description. You see, all those words (horrifying, wonderful, hideous, exquisite) are only like saying to your readers Please will you do the job for me.” 

~ C. S. Lewis ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

I have been saving this one for closer to tax time. Bookfox has a post HERE with 21 Tax Deductions that Save Writers Money.  

I am driven crazy by grammatical errors in the books I read for review. So does The Editor and she has a great post HERE on that very topic. 

Revision is so hard. Adventures in YA Publishing has a good list HERE of 30 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Tackle the Next Phase of Your Manuscript. 

My trip to NYC was great, and I had some wonderful time with my daughter Maggie. We saw Cate Blanchette in The Present. The performances were wonderful. Ms. Blanchette was dazzling, but I think this old Chekhov play was never published for a reason. We also saw Josh Groban in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. It is a spectacular production. The first act is a bit taxing since they are so busy introducing a cast of characters that requires a family tree in the program. (Yup. A family tree. Seriously.) That said, the second act music and story are quite wonderful and the amazing production is worth the very hefty price of admission. If Maggie hadn't had a friend in the show, we would never have gotten tickets. It's problem the second hottest ticket on Broadway behind Hamilton.

I don't usually mention adult books here, but I read one recently that was so amazing, I have to give y'all a heads up. Some years ago, I read a wonderful book called Plainsong by Kent Haruf. (If you click HERE you can read a wonderful article about what one student learned from studying writing with Haruf.) I loved it and think of it often, but I never got around to checking out his other books. I read a lot of blogs, and I read about another book by Haruf in two or three blogs in a period of one week. I took it of a sign that I needed to read it. Our Souls at Night is a magnificent book. I don't think there is one curse word in it nor is there any sex, so I wouldn't even be worried if any teens picked this one up, but for my adult readers, this book is simply amazing. I recommend it. It's a small book that can be read in a long afternoon, and it will be a wonderful afternoon for you.

Two weeks ago, I offered a copy of Clayton Stone Facing Off  by Ena Jones. to one of you. Honestly, if I ever had time to re-read a book, I wouldn't let this one go. But my busy life is your gain. This week's winner is Nancy, who shared my link on Facebook and got an extra chance. That paid off. Congratulations, Nancy! I will get this out to you soon. For the rest of you, I have a wonderful giveaway, so stay tuned.

As I have often mentioned, I am continually fascinated by novels in verse for young people. I ran across Root Beer Candy and Other Miracles by Shari Green as a review book for San Francisco Book Review and I snagged it. What a good choice that was for me! Here is the review I wrote for them. 

Bailey and her little brother, Kevin, have been dropped off at their grandmother’s to spend a month on the island while their parents attend a marriage camp, trying to find a way to stay together. Bailey is quick to make friends, and she and a neighbor boy, Daniel, become best friends immediately, exploring, swimming, and getting to know the island prognosticator, Jasper, former minister of the church. He foretells some interesting events, and Bailey grabs onto his foretelling as the answer to many of the problems she perceives in her life — her parents’ crumbling marriage, Daniel’s cystic fibrosis, and more. But miracles are hard to come by and don’t always happen as expected. 

Author Shari Green has pulled off a terrific feat. She writes this affecting book in

Shari Green
Photo by Pedersen Arts Photography

first person point of view in young Bailey’s voice in beautiful, lyrical blank verse — and it works seamlessly. The voice is pitch perfect for a young girl, the characters are all fully developed and completely believable, and the story will leave readers deeply moved and wanting more. This lovely book deserves a far wider readership than the middle-grade audience to which it is being marketed. Don’t miss this one.

I have a gently-read paperback for one of you. To win, all you need do is have a US address, be a subscriber or follower, and tell me that in a comment you leave on this post. If you are reading this in your email, click HERE to go to the blog so you can leave a comment. If you would like extra chances, please spread the word by posting the link on a Tweet, blog post, Facebook, or any other way you like. Let me know what you have done in your comment, and I will put in extra chances for you for each that you do.

Don't forget to check out Shannon Messenger's wonderful blog HERE for many more Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday reviews and giveaways.