This is a perfect middle grade ghost story! Mysterious Scottish fog bank + trio of curious youngsters + vengeful ghost = WINNER. The town of Journey’s End is exactly the kind of place you’d expect to find a ghost. It’s cold, wet and isolated. No one is surprised there’s a fog bank stuck off shore. They call it The Boundary because it separates land from sea. It’s not an ordinary fog bank though. Legend says [...]
My hope is that seeing the childhood writing and art of today’s most beloved authors and illustrators in Our Story Begins will inspire readers to tell their own stories in their own way. In that spirit, here’s a behind-the-scenes peek at my personal writing process, with 5 things that don’t work for me and 5 things that do. Five Things That DON’T Work for Me: Outlining my story I once heard the author John Barth [...]
From when I first picked up THE WORLD'S GREATEST ADVENTURE MACHINE (Frank L. Cole, Delacort Press), I was sucked in. The title and cover set the tone for the book - it's going to be a wild ride. The story centers around four kids who have won a contest to be the first to ride the newest, greatest roller coaster the world has ever seen. Immediately, thoughts of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory popped into [...]
Old school science fiction meets middle grade. What if a bioengineered flesh-eating bacteria was set loose in the woods? What if three unsuspecting children found it by mistake? Could a global catastrophe be avoided? Sachar masterfully weaves an all too believable “disaster story” around the lives of three tweens who worry about the usual “middle grade” kinds of things: fitting in, not being bullied, and being loved by family. Do such mundane things even matter [...]
The 1890s were the heyday of the fabulous Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC. The Vanderbilts entertained guests with lavish house parties that could last for weeks. Running an estate of that size required hundreds of employees including 12-year-old Serafina who specializes in catching rats. Serafina has exceptional hearing, eyesight, reflexes and strength because she’s part human and part mountain lion. She also has exceptional loyalty to those she loves. In the first two stories, Serafina [...]
Late last year, we were brought you the cover reveal for Jasmine Richards Keeper of Myths. Today, we are proud to bring you the book trailer for this wonderful book. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvuphXnWulk Magic and myth collide in this fast-paced middle-grade fantasy, a sequel to the adventure Booklist said will make readers “clamor for more, especially those who loved Rick Riordan’s Norse-themed The Sword of Summer.” Ever since Buzz and his friend Mary returned from their quest to [...]
Where do writers get their ideas? Neil Gaiman puts it best. “You get ideas from daydreaming. You get ideas from being bored. You get ideas all the time. The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we’re doing it.” Being aware of the world around you can open a writer to wonderful story ideas, intriguing characters, or crazy plot twists. Recognizing these "light bulb" moments is important to fueling your creative [...]
Perry T. Cook has lived his whole life, all 11 years of it, in the Blue River Correctional Facility with his mom who is a resident (prisoner). Perry isn’t a prisoner. He goes to school just like other kids. He has after-school activities (track practice with Mr. Halsey) and chores (laundry room) just like other kids. In Perry’s mind, he has a great life except he wishes his mom could meet his best friend Zoe. [...]
Happy book birthday to Laurel Snyder for the release of her latest middle grade novel, Orphan Island. "A wondrous book, wise and wild and deeply true." —Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the Moon For readers who loved Sara Pennypacker's Pax and Lois Lowry's The Giver comes a deep, compelling, heartbreaking, and completely one-of-a-kind novel about nine children who live on a mysterious island. On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in [...]
About the book: Introducing DOODLE ADVENTURES #3! Like The Search for the Slimy Space Slugs! and The Pursuit of the Pesky Pizza Pirate!, The Rise of the Rusty Robo-Cat! marries the fun of drawing and doodling with a lively fantasy tale that will appeal to boys and girls alike. From Mike Lowery—creator of the popular Kid’s Awesome Activity Calendar—it’s like a visual Mad Libs: part game, part graphic novel, and a thrilling, interactive experience in which [...]
