THE SUMMER SCRAPBOOK — Review & Giveaway

Thought for the Day:

“When I’m writing the first draft, I’m constantly reminding myself that I’m simply shoveling sand into a box, so that later I can go back and build castles.”
~ Jordan Peele ~

Gifts for My Writer Friends:

Queries can’t be avoided if you want to be published, but writing them can be intimidating. I love finding good examples of queries that worked. HERE is a Writer’s Digest article by Robert Lee Brewer that will lead you to 11 Successful Query Letter Examples for Writers in Various Genres. You’re welcome.

For characters to be authentic, they need to have flaws, but how do you make them flawed and still likable? HERE is a GREAT post from K. M. Weiland called Why Honesty Makes Flawed Characters More Likable. This is really a rich post. Don’t miss it.

Middle grade readers are a special bunch, and we, as writers, need to make special accommodations to engage them. HERE is a terrific post by J. J. Johnson on The Middle-Grade Writer about The Hidden Power of White Space in Middle Grade Books.

I’ve been hankering to get to a workshop away from home, to be immersed in writing with writerly people, and last week Donna Gwinnell Lambo Weidner left a comment mentioning that Gary D. Schmidt, my favorite middle-grade author, is on the faculty at the Better Books Workshop the end of October. It looks like a great event with three and a half days of filled with talks and critique workshops led by two agents, a literary scout, and GARY D. SCHMIDT!!! They still had openings, it was very reasonably priced, and I applied and was accepted. Thank you, Donna, for the heads up on this. I’m very excited. There may still be openings if you are looking for a good writerly experience. While I was hunting for something, I found out there are still openings at the Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop for the end of October session in Cape Cod. It was very tempting. I really love Cape Cod and haven’t been there in years, but I couldn’t do both and GARY D. SCHMIDT!!! So the decision for me was pretty easy. And they still have openings for the January session of the Big Sur workshop in — wait for it — Big Sur.

I am starting to work my way through Gary D. Schmidt’s books. The earliest one just came in this week, and I am loving it. You will hear more about it next week. For this week, I have a fun book that I reviewed this summer for the Manhattan Book Review. It really is a great summer read, and since we are still in August, I think I’d better get this one reviewed before summer is over. It is called SUMMER SCRAPBOOK and it is by Florence Migga. Here is the review I wrote for MBR.

Cat, Ava, and Becca have been best friends forever. Literally. Their mothers met in an expectant parents group, and the girls were born nearly the same time. They do everything together. But now they are to be separated for their last summer before high school. Cat will be stuck at home while Becca goes away to camp for eight weeks, and Ava and her family are being dragged off to London, where her father will teach at the university for the summer. Cat is a poet and will be home with no friends or fun, Ava is a future politician and knows she will have an awful time, and Becca, incredibly shy, is sure she will have a miserable, lonely summer. But will they?

Author Florence Migga tells a story with plenty of friendship drama and a little romance that young readers will relate to. She tells the story from the three points of view of Ava, Becca, and Cat in rotating chapters. Although the voices aren’t very distinct, the settings and story problems are, so it’s easy to keep track. The writing is excellent, and the story is very compelling. Middle-grade girls will love this book.

I have a gently-read ARC to give to one of you. All you need to do is be a follower (it’s free and easy — see the top, right corner of the post) with a US Address, and leave a comment. If you share the link to this post on social media, please let me know in your comment, and you will get an extra chance. And please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.