Year: 2011

I got a terrific email from a young reader today:

Hi Kate,

I am an ABSOLUTE number 1 fan of your book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. I was wondering if there are any other books like that you know of? They don’t have to be yours, just books that you would recommend. I am more of a school story girl… I don’t like violence or spookiness, but I also don’t like really girly stuff about princesses or fairies. I know, I am very picky. Just keep in mind that that means your book is JUST right! I am 11 in about 3 weeks, so my reading level is just like your book T.B.F.O.G.Z. (figure it out!) Can you save me? I love to read, but I just don’t know what to read!

Reply soon,

~Rebecca

I love-love-loved this letter, and of course, I am making a list for her.  Here’s what I have so far:

A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT by Linda Urban
RULES and TOUCH BLUE by Cynthia Lord
ME AND THE PUMPKIN QUEEN by Marlane Kennedy
VIOLET RAINES ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING by Danette Haworth
THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET by Erin Dionne
THE HARD KIND OF PROMISE by Gina Willner-Pardo
11 BIRTHDAYS by Wendy Mass
OPERATION YES by Sara Lewis Holmes
ANYTHING BUT TYPICAL by Nora Raleigh Baskin
WAITING FOR NORMAL by Leslie Connor
THE STRANGE CASE OF THE ORIGAMI YODA by Tom Angleberger
PENNY DREADFUL by Laurel Snyder
THE CURSE OF ADDY MCMAHON by Katie Davis
EMMA JEAN LAZARUS FELL OUT OF A TREE by Lauren Tarshis
WHEN YOU REACH ME by Rebecca Stead
PROJECT MULBERRY by LInda Sue Park

What else would you recommend?

While battling Beltway traffic to get to the soccer/piano/ballet activity du jour, do you fantasize about a simpler existence for your children? In a snow-dusted small town, perhaps, with cow-pond skating and pancake suppers?

So begins today’s Washington Post review of SUGAR AND ICE, which my editor had told me was coming…but I didn’t know how lovely it would be!   The full review is here.

The last book I read over the holiday break was an e-galley of Gary Schmidt’s OKAY FOR NOW, a fantastic and (is it possible?) even stronger follow-up to THE WEDNESDAY WARS. It’s a companion book, rather than a sequel, since this one is told through the eyes of Holling Hoodhood’s classmate, 14-year-old Doug Swieteck as his family moves to a stupid new town where he has no friends and where everyone seems intent on judging him based on the reputation of his scofflaw older brother. The voice in this book is laugh-out-loud funny, pitch-perfect teen boy, and rings true in all the best ways. I love-love-love the characters that populate these pages, from Doug himself to the stern librarian who begrudingly lets him in every Saturday to ogle the Audobon prints upstairs, to the scary old writer-lady on the delivery route he runs for the local store. (I love that she calls him only "Skinny Delivery Boy" even after they strike up what constitutes an honest-to-goodness friendship.)

Like the WEDNESDAY WARS, the humor in this book makes the poignant scenes even more powerful, and there’s no shortage of them when Doug’s older brother returns from Vietnam seriously hurt and facing all the community attitudes that met returning veterans in that era. OKAY FOR NOW made me laugh and cry, sometimes on the very same page, a sure way for a book to win my heart.  Due out in April from Clarion.

I went back to school today after a lovely, lazy vacation to find the new Scholastic Book Clubs flyer in my mailbox, and look what was inside!

SUGAR AND ICE is a featured title in the January ARROW Book Club, along with THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.  This made me smile for a few reasons. First, I’m excited that my new book is available to kids at such an affordable price, especially since the regular paperback edition doesn’t come out until December.  And second…I was happy to see my friend Cindy Lord’s wonderful books, TOUCH BLUE and RULES, featured in the same section.  It’s funny how happy that made me…kind of like showing up for a big dinner party full of strangers and finding out you’re seated right next to a friend.

There was a surprise in my mailbox at home recently, too.

A very early hardcover copy of my first-ever picture book, SEA MONSTER’S FIRST DAY. It’s illustrated by Andy Rash, who brought my imaginary monster to life in a more perfect way than I could have imagined.  This book comes out in July from Chronicle Books, but if any of you will be at the International Reading Association Conference in May, I’m told you’ll get a sneak peak, as I’ll be signing some early copies there.