The text and illustrations for Saving Granddaddy's Stories (Reycraft Books, 2020) complement one another beautifully and I'm excited to share both with you. This is author, Shanon Hitchcock's debut picture book. (You will find my review of one of her novels, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl, here.) She wrote about Ray Hicks because she grew up… Continue reading Saving Granddaddy's Stories: Ray Hicks, the Voice of Appalachia –An ARC Giveaway
Donna Everhart warned me that her newest book, The Forgiving Kind (Kensington, 2019) had some tough parts. She was right. Like her previous book, The Road to Bittersweet, The Forgiving Kind also features a young woman coming of age in rural North Carolina. The time is the 1950's and the place is 300 acres of Jones County--cotton territory. Although both… Continue reading The Forgiving Kind: A Review and Audio Book Giveaway
Browsing a recent Recorded Books catalog, I was pleased to find Wonderland (Farrar Strauss and Giroux, 2018), by North Carolina author, Barbara O' Connor. I hope one of your students, children, or grandchildren will enjoy it as much as I did. REVIEW The book opens with10-year-old Mavis Jeeter leaving Hadley, Georgia for the same reason she's left so… Continue reading Wonderland: A Review and Audio Book Giveaway
Congratulations to Linda Townsend and Barbara Younger for winning copies of Run to the Light from last week's blog. Eileen Heyes, a North Carolina author and writing instructor, sent me these two companion books. Based on her father's stories about his life in the movies during the depression, these books will appeal to readers in… Continue reading Two O'Dwyer and Grady Books and One Giveaway
Congratulations to Bridgett Bell Langson who won, The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl. "I wrote BACK ON EARTH: When Men First Landed on the Moon in anticipation of the fiftieth Apollo Eleven anniversary in 2019," North Carolina author Gretchen Griffith said. "I wanted today's young readers to understand how significant this event was to the children who witnessed it." Illustrated… Continue reading Back on Earth: A Review and Giveaway
For many authors getting inside schools feels as difficult as finding an agent or publisher. But according to Alan Gratz, an award-winning North Carolina author, it is not only possible, but it’s a great way to build buzz and sell your book. Alan Gratz at Hillcrest Middle School Greenville, SC 2015 One of the best… Continue reading How to Get Your Foot Inside of Schools and What to Do Once You’re There: Tips from Alan Gratz
Congratulations to Connie Saunders who won Blue Birds from last week's blog. ********* Readers of this blog are no strangers to book reviews by North Carolina author, Alan Gratz. He is well known for historical novels, like Prisoner B-3087 and Samurai Shortstop. But he also writes contemporary books like his newly released, Code of Honor, (Scholastic, August 2015)… Continue reading The League of Seven by Alan Gratz
Congratulations to Tonya Goettl who won Wonder at the Edge of the World in last week's giveaway. Stay tuned for another great giveaway coming up soon. But first, two posts about Alan Gratz's middle grade Holocaust book. I'm going to tell you from the start this review contains spoilers. It's a story driven by a young… Continue reading Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz