Middle Grade Gets Real

Everybody knows that middle-grade readers deal with all sorts of drama. Some true, some imagined, but all very real to them.

These four fabulous authors have teamed together to talk about their books, using the hashtag
#MGGetsReal.

Here they are and here are their books.

·      Shannon Wiersbitzky—WHAT FLOWERS REMEMBER (Alzheimer’s)

·      Kathleen Burkinshaw – THE LAST CHERRY BLOSSOM, (Hiroshima)

·      Joyce Moyer Hostetter—COMFORT, (War Trauma)

·      Kerry O’Malley Cerra—JUST A DROP OF WATER, (9/11)

·      Shannon Hitchcock—RUBY LEE & ME, (School Integration)

I've read three of these books and look forward to reading the others.

Give them a look, buy them for your library, reach out to the authors.

They created this excellent bibliography filled with books on every topic middle-grade readers care about. The real stuff.

It's posted here on the Pragmatic Mom blog, and shared lots of places.

And check out the NCTE blog next week. 
Rumor has it, there's a super BOOK giveaway!

(#MGGetsReal giveaway (open to educators) will be kicked off on August 16 at the NCTE blog.  Please do enter for a set of five books on tough topics.)

Writing Quote of the Day

“The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon.” 
Robert Cormier

As shared with me in an interview I did a while ago, linked HERE.

I now have that on a handwritten stickie, above my desk. 
This week it seems particularly appropriate.

Here's the quote, in its entirety:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_cormier.html

Now, back to searching for a few leaping similes...

The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping simile.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_cormier.html#xY2tmvUouJtRzhvz.99

The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping simile.
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/robert_cormier.html#xY2tmvUouJtRzhvz.99

And the winner is...

 Ellen Ruffin, a Facebook entrant.
A copy of LIAR & SPY is coming your way.

Thanks, everybody, for entering the givewaway.





Tune in next week for an interview with SHANNON WIERSBITZKY, the author of The Summer of Hammers & Angels.

Continuing my Great October Givewaway- Shannon has offered us a signed copy of her book. 

AND she's answering a lot of questions about writing, her publisher Namelos, 

her inspiration, and tons of other great tips.

See you next week! We're off for the Big Drive south to Florida. Happy Trails!