Well, it’s official—The Song of Orphan’s Garden, my very first book baby has been born! And what a long labor it was! I got my publishing offer for this book at the end of August 2022!! For those of you who’ve been part of this blog for years, thank you for all your support. For those who’ve joined more recently, welcome! I’m glad you’re here!
I just had to write a post about my launch party because it was seriously so far above my expectations (or even my dreams)! The only thing that would have made it better is if my book blogging community lived nearby so you guys could have been there too! So I thought I’d share as much as I can with you. I have lots of fun pictures and a few stories, and I hope this gives you a little taste of the fun! (more…)
Today I’m featuring AS YOU WISH by Nashae Jones, a fun middle grade contemporary fantasy romance!
Read on for my review of the book, and then make sure you also check out the author’s list of top ten addictions to find out more about her!
As You Wish by Nashae Jones Published by Aladdin on January 14, 2025 Genres: Contemporary Fantasy, Middle Grade, Romance Pages: 272 Source: The Publisher Cover Artist: Jonathan Bean
A girl learns the hard way to be careful what she wishes for in this sweet and funny middle grade rom-com featuring a chaos-loving West African trickster god.
Birdie has big plans for eighth grade. This is the year that she gets a boyfriend, and since she and her best friend, Deve, do everything together, it makes sense that Deve will get a girlfriend. This is the kind of math Birdie doesn’t find intimidating—it’s Eighth Grade 101. (Birdie + Boyfriend) + (Deve + Girlfriend) = Normal Eighth Grade Experience. And normal is something Birdie craves, especially with a mom as overprotective as hers.
She doesn’t expect Deve to be so against her plan, or for their fight to blow up in her face. So when the West African god Anansi appears to her, claiming to be able to make everything right again, Birdie pushes past her skepticism and makes a wish for the whole mess to go away. But with a trickster god, your wish is bound to come true in a way you never imagined.
Before long, Birdie regrets her rash words…especially when she realizes what’s really going on with her and Deve. With her reality upended, can Birdie figure out how to undo her wish?
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten MG Books I’m Anticipating in Jan-Mar of 2025!
Okay, first off, the MG novel I’m MOST anticipating in 2025 is … mine. THE SONG OF ORPHAN’S GARDEN comes out on January 21st!! You should definitely all read it. 🙂
But here’s the real list. 10 MG books I can’t wait for!!
January 21st is less than a month away!!!! (That’s the whole update. It feels insane, though!)
Audiobook update – I got a review copy of the completed audiobook, and I am in love!!! These narrators are fantastic. I’ve only listened to snippets so far (due to being sick and it being Christmas), but everything I’ve heard is wonderful!!
My first conference as an author! I attended the AISLE conference, which is for IL school librarians. This is the first time I’ve officially attended a conference as an author, so it was very exciting for me!
Audiobook is up for pre-order – I spent a few days listening to audiobook narrators last month. I don’t get final say, but I do get input on the narration, and I was happy when they were responsive to my suggestion that we use two narrators, one for Brob’s POV and one for Lyriana’s (at first they were just going to have one female narrator, but I think that would make it more confusing – especially for MG readers). I haven’t found out for sure who they’re using, but my favorite guy narrator just happened to follow me on Instagram, so that feels like a really good sign. 🙂 The audiobook is now up on Audible for pre-order! (I actually love the way the audiobook cover looks with more of winter showing.)
Discussion Guide – I decided to commission a Discussion Guide from an educator who regularly does them, and it turned out great! I included a page I wrote listing the formal poetry forms used in the book, too. I think the guide will be a fantastic resource for educators, libraries, book clubs, etc. You can see it here if you’re interested!
Signed Up for World Read Aloud Day – I’ll be doing free virtual visits on February 5th for World Read Aloud Day! If you’re an educator and want to sign up for a timeslot, I still have a few open (and I may decide to add a few more if these fill up.)
As I say every year, I’ve adapted this from The Perpetual Page Turner’s End of Year Survey!
2024 READING STATS
Number of Books You Read: 116
Definitely over my goal of 100 books this year. Helps that I’m mostly reading MG these days, and some of these are graphic novels and verse novels, which are quicker reads.
Guys, THE SONG OF ORPHAN’S GARDEN got chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!! This means the book will go out to quite a few libraries.
Today I’m featuring CRUSHING IT by Erin Becker, a heartfelt middle grade contemporary with a focus on friendships, family matters, sports, and crushes.
Read on for my review of the book, and then make sure you also check out the author’s list of top ten addictions to find out more about her!
Crushing It by Erin Becker Published by Penguin Workshop on August 6, 2024 Genres: Contemporary, Middle Grade, Romance Pages: 240 Source: The Publisher Cover Artist: Ricardo Bessa
On the soccer field, Magic Mel is in her element. She’s ready to lead her team to victory at the city championship in her new role as captain. Off the field, however, is a totally different story. Mel can’t get a handle on her class presentation, her friend group has completely dissolved, and her ex-friend-current-teammate, Tory, is being the worst. The only place she feels like herself is in her text conversations where she shares her secret poetry with BTtoYouPlease.
Tory McNally, on the other hand, is keeping everything together, thank you very much. So what if her mom is more preoccupied with her craft projects and new husband than her, or that she’s down to one IRL friend because of annoying, overly peppy “Magic” Mel? She’s perfectly fine, and even when she maybe isn’t, she’s got NotEmilyD to text with.
As the championships loom closer, everything around Mel and Tory starts to get more and more complicated: the dynamics on the field, the rift between their friend group, and, as they connect anonymously online, maybe even their feelings for each other…
From debut author Erin Becker comes an action-packed but tender novel about first romance, identity, and learning how to be brave when it matters the most.
Today I’m featuring two fall picture books by Janet Nolan, Get Ready for Halloween and Bats Beneath the Bridge (which isn’t specifically fall-themed, but we all know bats are on-topic for this time of year). Read on for my bite-sized reviews of the books, and then make sure you also check out the Janet’s list of top ten addictions to find out more about her!
The Song of Orphan’s Garden is available to request on Edelweiss! I assume it will also be available on NetGalley soon too, but I haven’t seen it there yet. I’ll let you know! The fact that people can really read it now is both exciting and terrifying, not gonna lie.
UPDATE: Sam let me know that it’s now on NetGalley too!
I also got blurbs from three authors I absolutely adore and deeply respect. (I may or may not have shed a few tears when I got these.) Want to know what people are saying about TSoOG? Check it out:
“A lyrical fantasy reminiscent of C.S. Lewis, The Song of Orphan’s Garden takes readers on a riveting journeyto explore the perils of preconceptions and the power of friendship. A one-of-a-kind verse novel sure to entrance readers of all ages.” ―Megan E. Freeman, New York Times-bestselling author of Alone
“In skillfully crafted verse, The Song of Orphan’s Garden sings to the reader in beautiful harmony about unexpected courage, impossible friendships, and the magic inside us all … A beautifully written, lyrical adventure for the soul.” ―Chris Baron, author of Sydney Taylor Notable Book The Magical Imperfect
“This bold fantasy novel-in-verse feels both classic and entirely fresh, telling a rich and compelling story of two very different kids who find community and healing in unsuspected places. Inventive, exciting, and simply lovely.” ―Anne Ursu, author of Not Quite a Ghost
Today I’m featuring A BITE ABOVE THE REST by Christine Virnig, a fun middle grade supernatural read set in a town that celebrates Halloween year-round.
Read on for my review of the book, and then make sure you also check out the author’s list of top ten addictions to find out more about her!
A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig Published by Aladdin on August 6, 2024 Genres: Contemporary Fantasy Pages: 320 Source: Edelweiss
A boy moves to a Halloween-themed town only to realize there may be more to the tourist trap than meets the eye in this fast-paced romp of a middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Last Kids on Earth and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library !
When Caleb’s mom decides they are moving to her childhood home in Wisconsin, Caleb is not thrilled. Moving schools, states, and time zones would be bad enough, but Mom’s hometown is Samhain, a small and ridiculously kitschy place where every day is Halloween.
Caleb is not a fan of Halloween when it only happens once a year, so Halloween-obsessed Samhain is really not the place for him. How is he supposed to cope with kids wearing costumes to school every single day ? And how about the fact that the mayor is so committed to the bit that City Hall is only open from sundown to sunup to accommodate his so-called vampirism? Sure enough, Caleb becomes an outcast at school for refusing to play along with the spooky tradition like the other sixth graders. Luckily, he manages to find a friend in fellow misfit Tai, and just in time, because things are getting weird in Samhain…or make that weird er .
But there’s no way the mayor is an actual vampire, and their teacher absolutely cannot really be a werewolf—right? Caleb discovers Samhain is so much stranger than he ever could have imagined. As one of the only people who realizes what’s happening, can he save a town that doesn’t want saving?
As You Wish by Nashae Jones
Crushing It by Erin Becker
A Bite Above the Rest by Christine Virnig