The book RAT by Jan Cheripko is an upper middle-grade/young adult novel offering a unique, first-person perspective of Jeremy, a disabled boy in high school. I would recommend this book for readers 11+ who can comprehend the use of mature language, suggestive dialogue, violence, abuse, and swear words. We start in a courtroom, with Jeremy a witness in a… Continue reading RAT: A Book Review by Tween Guest Blogger, Brooke White
Congratulations to Linda Phillips who won an autographed copy of BE LIGHT LIKE A BIRD on last week's blog. Several years ago I bought Karen Harrington's book, SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY (Little Brown Books, 2013) at a SCBWI conference. As my bookshelves fill up with newer books, sometimes older ones take a back seat. Deciding it was… Continue reading Sure Signs of Crazy: A Review and Autographed Giveaway!
I first met Jan Cheripko, author of Rat; Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain; and Imitate The Tiger, when we both presented at a South Carolina Reading Association conference several years ago. I admire his tight prose in which young men face peer pressure and/or tough choices. His workshop at camp was on secondary characters and transitions. Since I'd… Continue reading Gems from Jan: Summer Camp at Highlights Part III
In March I blogged about the project which Maupin House publisher Julie Graddy had asked me to work on— adding 6-8th grade fictional narrative lessons to the new edition of the Maupin House Craft Plus series. I recently received my copy in the mail and was proud to see my name listed along with eleven… Continue reading Craft Plus revisited