Today is the day that Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy, illustrated magnificently by Archana Sreenivasan and written by me, releases into the world. It is intended for readers aged 4-8 (but, of course, readers older and younger than that are very welcome). It is the first picture book I’ve written, and the best-reviewed book yet of… Read more »
Book Deal
So you want to get your children’s book published?
With some regularity, I get e-mails from people who have written a book for children and would like advice on how to get it published. The first thing I always tell them is “Congratulations! Writing a book is a huge accomplishment!” (Seriously. It took me seven years to write my own first children’s novel, All Four… Read more »
Great news for THE GREAT HIBERNATION
Hello, readers! I’m so pleased to report a few tidbits of happy news for me and my books. Accolades My newest middle-grade novel, The Great Hibernation, has just been named a best book of the year by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC). What a huge honor, and what excellent company it’s in, too. The Great… Read more »
Cover reveal for THE GREAT HIBERNATION!
Let’s not beat around the (thistleberry) bush. Here it is, the cover for my next middle-grade novel, The Great Hibernation, coming September 12 from Wendy Lamb Books/Random House! The illustrator is the incredible Rebecca Green. Why yes, that is a sheep wearing snowshoes. And a boy in a 17th-century mariner’s costume. And a fjord, and an… Read more »
Všechny čtyři hvězdicky (All Four Stars in Czech!)
Czech it out (yuk, yuk): Author copies of the Czech translation of All Four Stars–Všechny čtyři hvězdicky–arrived on my doorstep this week! The book was published by Albatros in 2016, with a new cover by Eva Chupíková. The cover was a glorious surprise to me, because the last I heard, the publisher was planning to use… Read more »
My next (next) book!
For all those who have been asking what’s coming from me post-Gladys, I finally have an answer for you! In today’s Publishers Weekly Children’s Bookshelf: Here’s a bit more of the story behind this book. In January of 2013, my mother was very ill–on a breathing machine in a hospital bed, fighting for her life…. Read more »
A whole new format for Gladys in 2016!
As this year draws to a close, I’m thrilled to share one more very nice piece of news for the All Four Stars series… THERE WILL BE AUDIOBOOKS! My publisher, Penguin, has licensed audio rights to Ideal Audiobooks for All Four Stars, The Stars of Summer, and Stars So Sweet. I don’t have all of the details yet, but I… Read more »
ALL FOUR STARS turns one! (and giveaway)
One year ago today–after nine years of writing, rewriting, submitting, hoping, and waiting–a little book called All Four Stars hit the shelves. A whole bunch of you showed up to celebrate with me at Books Of Wonder in New York, and I could hardly believe what an amazing welcome you gave Gladys into the world. Now… Read more »
And a one, and a two, and a one, two, THREE!
Exciting news to share this morning: There will be a THIRD Gladys Gatsby book, coming out in 2016! Here’s the announcement from my agency. I’m so excited that the foodie adventures of Ms. Gatsby and her friends will be continuing, and that I’ll get to work with my wonderful editor Shauna Rossano and her team at… Read more »
Sequel title & cover reveal: THE STARS OF SUMMER!
Recipe for a delicious sequel to All Four Stars: Take one ambitious (and now slightly more mature) heroine… Load up her lobster backpack… Pack her off to the very last place on earth where she wants to spend the summer… Assign her to review one of her least favorite foods… Wait for the stars to align…… Read more »