Laurie McKay is the author of The Last Dragon Charmer #1: Villain Keeper. Her debut middle grade novel was published in February and was selected for the Winter Indie Next List. Here is the description from Good Reads:
All his life, Prince Caden has dreamed of being sent on a quest to slay a dragon. But before he has the chance, he is ripped from his home in the Winterlands of Razzon and finds himself in Asheville, North Carolina—a land with no magic and no dragons. But a prince must always complete his quest. And the longer Caden is in Asheville, the more he realizes there is magic in this strange land after all.… Read the rest
Cindy L. Rodriguez is the author of the young adult novel, When Reason Breaks:
“13 Reasons Why meets the poetry of Emily Dickinson in this gripping debut novel perfect for fans of Sara Zarr or Jennifer Brown.A Goth girl with an attitude problem, Elizabeth Davis must learn to control her anger before it destroys her. Emily Delgado appears to be a smart, sweet girl, with a normal life, but as depression clutches at her, she struggles to feel normal. Both girls are in Ms. Diaz’s English class, where they connect to the words of Emily Dickinson. Both are hovering on the edge of an emotional precipice.… Read the rest
Pat Zietlow Miller is the author of the award-winning (and adorable!) picture book Sophie’s Squash, illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf. Sophie’s Squash is story that celebrates the special love between a child and her favorite toy–only in this case it’s a butternut squash. On a trip to the farmers’ market with her parents, Sophie chooses a squash, but instead of letting her mom cook it, she names it Bernice. Sophie’s Squash has earned many accolades and honors, including four starred reviews, the Golden Kite Award, the Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book Award, and the Ezra Jack Keats Honor Book Award.And fortunately for the children’s book world, Pat has more books coming out in the world–SEVEN to be exact (at last count).… Read the rest
Joining us today for Creative Spaces is Dan Gemeinhart. Dan’s debut middle grade novel, The Honest Truth, publishes today from Scholastic Press. The Honest Truth is a moving, fast-paced story about a boy, his dog, and the adventure of a lifetime:
In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He’s got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.
But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals.… Read the rest
Joining us today for Creative Spaces is YA author Maggie Hall. Her debut novel The Conspiracy of Us was published this month from Putnam/Penguin:
To fight her destiny as the missing heir to a powerful and dangerous secret society, sixteen-year-old Avery West must solve an ancient puzzle in a deadly race across Europe. Forbidden love and code-breaking, masked balls and explosions, destiny and dark secrets collide in this romantic thriller, in the vein of a YA DaVinci Code.
Avery West’s newfound family can shut down Prada at the Champs-Elysees when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war.They… Read the rest
