Stacy's Nockowitz recent release, The Prince of Steel Pier, is a triumph of middle grade historical fiction. I asked her about her road to publication. MGM: The characters in your book are so authentic, do you have a similar person in your life, like a Bubbe or Uncle Sol? A: My grandparents on my dad’s side were somewhat like Joey’s bubbe and zeyde. They were immigrants who had come to America in the 1920s, escaping [...]
Today is the launch of a wonderful middle grade book set in Atlantic City in the 1970s. The Prince of Steel Pier by Stacy Nockowitz is a suspenseful and inspirational story with rich characters that jump off the page. Joey is a skeet ball wiz and during a trip to the boardwalk, he gets the attention of a dangerous mobster, Artie Bishop, known as the King of Steel Pier. Joey comes from a large Jewish family with [...]
Congratulations to Fleur Bradley on the release of her latest middle grade novel, Daybreak on Raven Island, a wonderfully spooky book that is accessible to younger readers. Three seventh-grade students, Tori, Marvin, and Noah, are on a school field trip to a long abandoned prison island (inspired by Alcatraz). They're the first class to be allowed to tour the facility so you'd think they would be excited, but they have other things on their minds. Tori would [...]
Who can resist a fun retelling of a classic fairytale? Having some knowledge of the backstory allows the reader to get invested in the story quickly. Today's guest post is a fairytale specialist—Leah Cypess is the author of the SISTERS EVER AFTER series and shares some of her favorite retellings of Cinderella. Leah Cypess: While writing GLASS SLIPPERS, I avoided reading other retellings of Cinderella. But now that GLASS SLIPPERS is out in the world, [...]
Congratulations to Leah Cypess on her second installment in the Sisters Ever After series, Glass Slippers. In this story, we meet Cinderella's third, never-before-mentioned "wicked" stepsister, Tirza. In this fairytale retelling, Tirza has lived with the shame of what her family did to Cinderella for years. Against everyone's advice, Cinderella—now Queen Ella—took a chance on young Tirza. She gave Tirza a home in the castle instead of banishing her. The queen told everyone Tirza was good and [...]
You hereby have permission to write badly today. That is, as long as you write something. Anything. Anything at all. On topic, off topic, no topic. Just write. Go for it. Write as poorly as you can. Seriously, aim for the absolute bottom of the barrel. Permission granted. Go! The words that come out don’t need to be your best words. They needn’t compare to the shiny perfection that came out “that one time.” Fix [...]
Congratulations on the launch of the middle grade graphic novel, Wingbearer. The author, Marjorie Liu, is a best-selling novelist and comic book writer known for her work at Marvel, including Black Widow, Han Solo, Astonishing X-Men, and more. The story stars a female protagonist of color who finds strength in fighting for her friends and doing what's right. The artwork brings the story to life with amazing depth and color worthy of framing. Zuli is a [...]
Congratulations to Lisa Stringfellow on her middle grade debut, A Comb of Wishes. Stringfellow is a masterful storyteller who writes prose like a seasoned pro. A Comb of Wishes is one of the most creative and captivating books I've read in a while. Set in the Caribbean and rich with culture and folklore, the book is a journey of recovery and resilience. When Kela and her friend Lissy stumble across an ancient-looking comb in a coral [...]
Similes and metaphors can effectively enhance a character’s emotion, personality trait, or even describe a precarious situation. Better yet, used when there's a quiet moment when the character reveals a truth about themselves. But figurative language can also be a crutch to adding a description to a scene. Some metaphors are too good to pass up but ask yourself these questions when evaluating whether they are the right metaphor for the right time. Does it [...]
The Kingston duology are two books every elementary and middle school should consider for their classrooms. Ruckers Moses and Theo Gangi created an accessible fantasy that's perfect for grades 4th-6th. The characters are genuine, the pacing is quick and the magic feels like a natural part of the story. Set in Brooklyn, these books are a fun read for all levels of readers. The first book is Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found - Magic [...]
