March Wrap-Up
Book News/Progress:
My book has an official blurb! If you head to my entry on Goodreads, you’ll see that the book has a real, official entry now, with a blurb written by the publisher. And, wow – they made it sound really good and compared me to people I never would have had the guts to compare myself to. LOL! (The book is also technically now on Amazon and B&N, but since it doesn’t have a cover yet, I’m not really encouraging anyone to head over there right now – but it still makes it all feel more real!!)
School visit: I did a two-day poetry workshop at a local school, and it was fantastic! A lot of fun, and I was really impressed by some of the poetry the kids created.
I got pass-pages! My editor sent me the book all formatted and beautiful, and let me tell you, I am thrilled with how it looks! They added little details and illustrative elements to certain pages – it’s exactly the sort of thing that would have attracted me to a book when I was that age. I saw it and honestly wanted to cry, I was so happy.
Then, I got a sneak-peek at the cover!!! It isn’t 100% finalized yet, but it is very close. Cover reveals don’t typically happen until about six months before the book is out, so I probably won’t be sharing for a bit, but I am SO very happy with it. It’s wonderful!!!
I’m doing a Revise & Resubmit for my next book option. So, I submitted a book proposal to my editor, and they’re very interested in the concept, but they have some editing suggestions they want to see before they decide if they want to take it on. This is actually a really positive thing because I completely agree with their comments, and I now have a direction (and a sense of purpose) for my revisions. Keep your fingers crossed for me that this turns into a yes down the road!!
What I Read:
- I read The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. Somehow I’ve known about this book for years but never realized it was a verse novel. Glad I finally read it!
- I also read Ghost Writers: The Haunting of Lake Lucy by Sandy Deutscher Green, a creepy horror verse novel that’s coming out in May!
- And then I read Alias Anna by Susan Hood and Greg Dawson. This verse novel was nominated for the 2024-25 Rebecca Caudill Awards (which is Illinois’ awards for 4th-6th graders). As a side note, my friend Megan E. Freeman’s book ALONE actually won this award this year!!
- Finally, I read The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers, which won the Newberry this year (and is also nominated for the Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards).
- I listened to The Lost Girl by Anne Ursu. Loved this contemporary tale of twins with a fantastical twist!
- And I also listened to The Sky Over Rebecca by Matthew Fox. This one was also nominated for the Barnes & Noble Children’s & YA Book Awards. I’m trying to read all of these so I can properly vote!
- I read Iveliz Explains It All by Andrea Beatriz Arango. This layered verse novel has an important message about mental health!
- And I also read Snowglobe by Soyoung Park, a unique dystopian fantasy that takes place in a time when climate change has turned the whole world to an arctic environment.
The new list of Rebecca Caudill Award finalists is up. This is Illinois’ school and library award for the year (students just voted Megan E. Freeman’s ALONE the 2023-2024 winner!). I always try to read as many of the nominees as I can so I can recommend them at work. The first two books I listened to are nominees for 2024-2025!
- I listened to Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd, a lovely contemporary with a touch of fantasy that highlights an MC with brittle bone disease.
- Then I listened to Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas. This contemporary tackles some serious topics in a way that’s engaging and hopeful!
- Finally, I listened to Just a Pinch of Magic by Alechia Dow. This fantasy (or maybe it’s a contemporary fantasy, but this one’s definitely heavy on the fantasy) is wonderful! Highly recommend!
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