The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy is Anne Ursu’s latest delight. I’m one of her fans—Breadcrumbs and The Real Boy were inspirations to me when I first began writing middle grade fiction—and I saved this as a special treat. Talk about special treats. This was one of the best books of the 2021 for me, and also one… Read more »
Book recommendation
Book Recommendation: Cuba in My Pocket
Like two of my characters in Secret of the Shadow Beasts, I love history and historical fiction. Because I’ve read a lot of this genre (and written it!), I have very high standards. For me, the research needs to be spot-on, making the world feel real and full of life, and wholly individual. So many historical stories… Read more »
Book Recommendation: The Shape of Thunder
I’ll share this right away: The Shape of Thunder is a book about a very tough topic: the aftermath of a school shooting and how those closest to it deal with it. Jasmine Warga makes this topic bearable for a young audience through several brilliant technique, and here’s the first: She sets the story a little… Read more »
Yesterday was a pretty rough day for my family (we’re dealing with a local tragic situation), and Flora was there for us. She hopped on my lap first thing in the morning, climbed in my arms as often as she could during the day, and then stuck to my son like glue as soon as he got home. That evening, while he was resting, she came in while I was on the exercise bike. She stayed right next to it, like this, the whole time, as if she wanted me to know I wasn’t alone.
Cats are really there when you need them.
#catsofinstagram #catsagram
Secret of the Shadow Beasts came out on June 14, 2022—one of the worst, most chaotic times for a #mglit book: right at the end of the school year. The ongoing pandemic didn't help either. Right now, most libraries in my home state don't have it. A lot of indies from whom I've purchased books don't carry it. I've been wondering if no one's heard of it, or if people just didn't like it.
This book came from very deep inside of me. I challenged myself to write a complex plot with fully-drawn characters (even the minor characters have a story), themes of agency and empowerment, tinged with humor, infused with immense warmth, while keeping to the page-turning style that I'm known for. I dreamed of kids picking it up, entranced by Vivienne To's incredible cover.
At a recent local book festival, every copy of this book sold out within an hour. The cover, the story on the flap—I heard this title in so many young voices, requesting this as their purchase. Kids who read the first chapter, or thumbed through it, proclaimed it "cool" and wouldn't put it down. I saw how much kids wanted it.
I'm only one person, and it's very hard to publicize this on my own. If you want to help me get this out to young readers who could use an exciting, warm tale of people supporting each other through difficult times, please consider requesting it from your local library, and, if you've read it, posting a review on https://amazon.com/Secret-Shadow-Beasts-Diane-Magras/dp/0735229325. Getting it in libraries will make it available to so many kids. And getting it to the magic 50 reviews will help it appear on searches and reach readers that way too.
I don't usually come here and share this kind of story. But I'm not alone in this struggle: So many authors I know are dealing with the same thing. One of the most heartbreaking parts is thinking of all those #mglit books that are perfect for so many kids sinking into the mist because no one's heard of them.
Thank you for helping.
#middlegradebooks #middlegradefantasy #kidlit #middlegradefiction #middlegradereads #middlegradelit #middlegradeliterature