Hey guys!
So, my Lil Dude started *kindergarten* last week! Can you believe it? (This morning he's home sick with a cold, though, dressed in a Superman outfit and, at this moment, directing (bashing, actually) his remote control police car into my desk chair in an attempt to get my attention.
*time lapse*
Okay, situation under control now. So, as I was saying, car-bashing aside, my Lil Dude is now becoming a Big Dude, *sniff sniff.*.... If you've been reading this blog for a while, you might remember
this post I did just after we adopted him from Guatemala when he was nine months old.
On a different note, I thought I'd let you know about one of the many great books I've enjoyed this summer. Here is Jeannie Mobley's charming older-middle-grade novel,
Katerina's Wish (ages 8-12)
... such a sweet cover, isn't it?
Jeannie and I have much in common-- she also has an anthropology background, also lives in northern Colorado, and has the same agent as me (
Erin Murphy). Jeannie and I actually worked together in the anthropology department at the local community college (where she still teaches.) I already knew quite well that she's a clever, hard-working, and warm-hearted person, so I wasn't too surprised to find those same qualities in Katerina, the loveable main character of her debut novel.
I was lucky enough to get a review copy over the summer... and I loved it! I'm in awe-- Jeannie is a master of historical fiction. Here's the blurb I gave:
I
adored this beautiful debut novel about a spunky Bohemian immigrant girl who
dares to realize her family’s American dream through creativity and hard work. The loveable characters, vivid setting, and
magical folktales completely drew me into Katerina’s world, and I didn’t want
to leave.
You can visit Jeannie's website
here and see the starred reviews and honors this book has already received (and it's just coming out this week!)
I've read some other wonderful new middle grade books dealing with immigration this summer, like
Natalie Dias Lorenzi's Flying the Dragon, which I plan to review here soon (stay tuned!)
Big congrats to Jeannie on her book release! I'm planning on attending her launch party (open to everyone) at the Longmont Public Library from 3:00- 5:00 on Saturday, Sept 8. Maybe we'll see you there...
And speaking of events, just a reminder to you Maryland folks-- I'll be on the Baltimore Bred panel of the Baltimore Book Festival on Sat, Sept 29 at 5:30. Please come and chat if you're in the area!
That's it for now!
xo,
Laura
