This morning’s Scholastic Literary Event spotlighted some fantastic middle grade fiction. Four authors were there to present readings from their newest books:
Gordon Korman, whose newest book, Restart, looks at a bully who’s lost his memory and is finding he’s a very different person – if everyone around him will let him be.
Natasha Tarpley, whose novel, Harlem Charade, blends mystery and art, with a protagonist who’s living on the streets and trying to find out what happened to his grandfather, who was attacked.
Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang, whose novel, This is Just a Test, takes an often hilarious look at a Chinese-American Jewish boy in the early 1980s, who’s worried about nuclear war and his two warring grandmothers.
Each author gave a brief talk, introduced his or her book, and, in a fun departure from the usual author readings, engaged the other authors in creating a little play, where each particpant played a character and read the selection from each story. It was too much fun, and I can’t wait to read these books and talk them up to the kids! Scholastic was also kind enough to give us a tote bag full of books – the books spotlighted at the reading, and new selections from Emma Donohue, Kathryn Lasky, Lamar Giles, and Amy Sarig King.