​Perhaps I should title this story, What’s Taken Me So Long to Write a Story Set in the 1970s? The 1970s was when I, myself, was a middle grade child. It was a glorious time.

Well, you get the picture. It was a glorious time. It was a time when we went outside in the morning to play and often only came back in when we needed a bathroom or food. There were no cell phones or ipads or streaming anything. I owned both a portable tape recorder and an FM radio, which in my eyes were as high-tech as one could get. Those two items meant I could spend my Saturday mornings listening to top 40 radio in hopes of making the perfect mixed-tape, if I happened to have my tape recorder positioned close enough to the radio to pick up the sound, and if the DJ happened to play a song I liked, and if my tape didn’t get caught in the machine, and if I could tune in the station enough to get rid of most of the crackling and static, and most importantly, if there was no background noise in my house to ruin the recording such as a phone ringing, my brother playing music of his own, or a parent calling my name. But despite the crackling and static and other background noise, I would listen to that coveted tape over and over, knowing I’d worked hard to make it as perfect as possible.
 

Hello, and happy first day of November! Yes it's 11/1 and that means it's the official release day for THE BACKYARD SECRETS OF DANNY WEXLER! 
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Can you believe it's been five years since I've published a book?  I started writing this one a few years ago and after many, many revisions, I'm so excited to have it finally available. Here's the scoop:

​Set in 1978, 11-year-old Danny suspects the disappearance of a local kid is connected to an old Bermuda Triangle theory involving UFOs. But hunting for aliens is complicated, and it doesn’t help that his best friend’s mom doesn’t want her son hanging out with a Jewish boy.
As Danny attempts to unmask the mystery, he uncovers the antisemitism in his town and finds that few people are exactly what they seem.

​Recommended for grades 3-7, ages 8-13.

Interested in picking up a copy? Purchase links can be found on my home page.
​Are you in the Philadelphia area? Stop by my local bookstore, Open Book Bookstore on Saturday November 13th for my release celebration book signing! 
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Thanks as always for your support!

xo,
​Karen

It's been a while since I've shared the books I've been reading, but I've read some really great ones since my last post. I've definitely been focusing on middle grade but I'm hoping to dip into my growing list of adult titles soon.

As I've stated before, while I love writing my own stories, I'm terrible at writing reviews. Know that I loved all of these books! The summaries below are provided by the authors/publishers. 

​Middle Grade Books:
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Fish out of Water by Joanne Levy
Twelve-year-old Fishel (Fish) Rosner doesn’t like regular “boy” things. But all his interests are considered “girly.” Fish doesn’t get why that’s a bad thing. He’s just interested in different things than other boys. Why does everyone else get to decide what Fish should or shouldn't do?

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley
When JJ Jacobson convinced his mom to accept a surprise invitation to an all-expenses-paid weekend getaway at the illustrious Barclay Hotel, he never imagined that he'd find himself in the midst of a murder mystery. He thought he was in for a run-of-the-mill weekend ghost hunting at the most haunted spot in town, but when he arrives at the Barclay Hotel and his mother is blamed for the hotel owner's death, he realizes his weekend is going to be anything but ordinary. Now, with the help of his new friends, Penny and Emma, JJ has to track down a killer, clear his mother's name, and maybe even meet a ghost or two along the way.

The Comeback by E. L. Shen
Twelve-year-old Maxine Chen is just trying to nail that perfect landing: on the ice, in middle school, and at home, where her parents worry that competitive skating is too much pressure for a budding tween. But then a bully at school starts teasing Maxine for her Chinese heritage, leaving her stunned and speechless. And at the rink, she finds herself up against a stellar new skater named Hollie, whose grace and skill threaten to edge Maxine out of the competition. Can she power her way to a comeback?

Miraculous by Jess Redman
Eleven-year-old Wunder Ellis is a miracologist. In a journal he calls The Miraculous, he records stories of the inexplicable and the extraordinary. But then his newborn sister dies, at only eight days old. If that can happen, then miracles can’t exist. Then he meets Faye―a cape-wearing, outspoken girl with losses of her own. Together, they find an abandoned house by the cemetery and a mysterious old woman who just might be a witch. The old woman asks them for their help. And they go on a journey that leads to friendship, to adventure, to healing―and to miracles.

The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden S. by David Levithan
Aidan disappeared for six agonizing days of searches and police and questions and constant vigils. Then, just as suddenly as he vanished, Aidan reappears. The story he tells is simply. . . impossible. But it's the story Aidan is sticking to. His brother, Lucas, wants to believe him. But other people, including their parents, are saying that Aidan is making it all up to disguise the fact that he ran away. But still Aidan clings to his story. And as he becomes more of an outcast, Lucas becomes more concerned. Being on Aidan's side would mean believing in the impossible. But how can you believe in the impossible when everything and everybody is telling you not to?

One Jar of Magic by Corey Ann Haydu 
Rose Alice Anders is Little Luck. Lucky to be born into the Anders family. Lucky to be just as special and magical as her father. The whole town has been waiting for Rose to turn twelve, when she can become the person she was born to be. But when that special day finally comes, Rose barely captures one tiny jar of magic. Now Rose’s dad won’t talk to her anymore and her friendships have gotten all twisted and wrong. So when Rose hears whispers that there are people who aren’t meant for magic at all, she begins to wonder if that’s who she belongs with, what’s truly real in a world full of magic.

When You Trap A Tiger by Tae Keller
When Lily and her family move in with her sick grandmother, a magical tiger straight out of her halmoni's Korean folktales arrives, prompting Lily to unravel a secret family history. Long, long ago, Halmoni stole something from the tigers. Now they want it back. And when one of the tigers approaches Lily with a deal--return what her grandmother stole in exchange for Halmoni's health--Lily is tempted to agree. But deals with tigers are never what they seem! With the help of her sister and her new friend Ricky, Lily must find her voice...and the courage to face a tiger. 

Bigger Than A Bread Box by Laurel Snyder
​A magical breadbox that delivers whatever you wish for—as long as it fits inside? It's too good to be true! Twelve-year-old Rebecca is struggling with her parents' separation, as well as a sudden move to her gran's house in another state. For a while,  the magic bread box, discovered in the attic, makes life away from home a little easier. Then suddenly it starts to make things much, much more difficult, and Rebecca is forced to decide not just where, but who she really wants to be.

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
Eleven-year-old Melody is not like most people. She can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. All because she has cerebral palsy. But she also has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She’s the smartest kid in her whole school, but NO ONE knows it. Most people—her teachers, her doctors, her classmates—dismiss her as mentally challenged because she can’t tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by her disability. And she’s determined to let everyone know it…somehow.


Adult Books:

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything—everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome's got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter. Cussy's not only a book woman, however, she's also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she's going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler. Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home.

Mary Jane: A Novel by Jessica Anya Blau
In 1970s Baltimore, fourteen-year-old Mary Jane loves cooking with her mother, singing in her church choir, and enjoying her family’s subscription to the Broadway Showtunes of the Month record club. Shy, quiet, and bookish, she’s glad when she lands a summer job as a nanny for the daughter of a local doctor. A respectable job, Mary Jane’s mother says. In a respectable house.
The house may look respectable on the outside, but inside it’s a literal and figurative mess. And even more troublesome the doctor is a psychiatrist who has cleared his summer for one important job—helping a famous rock star dry out. A week after Mary Jane starts, the rock star and his movie star wife move in. Over the course of the summer, Mary Jane introduces her new household to crisply ironed clothes and a family dinner schedule, and has a front-row seat to a liberal world of sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not to mention group therapy). Caught between the lifestyle she’s always known and the future she’s only just realized is possible, Mary Jane will arrive at September with a new idea about what she wants out of life, and what kind of person she’s going to be. 

If you're interested in purchasing any of these books, please consider purchasing a copy from your local independent bookstores. Indiebound.Org and Bookshop.Org are two great places to find local bookstores and shop indie.

I'm currently reading Linked by Gordon Korman .. stay tuned for details and more books coming soon! Drop me a line with your book recommendations.

xo
Karen



​

Hi Friends ... We're now less than three weeks away from the release of my newest middle grade novel, THE BACKYARD SECRETS OF DANNY WEXLER on November 1st. Eighteen days to be exact!  

​I'm super excited because my publisher sent me advanced copies to check out and they look AMAZING! <--- totally unbiased opinion. Want to see? Of course you do:

Pre-orders are available through October 31st and you can find links as well as some early reviews on my home page: HERE .  Don't forget, if you order through my local bookstore, Open Book Bookstore, you are automatically entered to win this cool swag pack (U.S. orders only):

THE BACKYARD SECRETS OF DANNY WEXLER is perfect for children ages 8-13, grades 3-7. 

​Thank you as always for your support!

xo,
​Karen

Back again to share more of the books I've read recently. I'm pleased to say I read some excellent books these last couple of months, many of which will stick with me for quite some time. 

Most were new releases, but there were a couple of older books in there (I couldn't resist reading The Remains of the Day after reading Klara and the Sun.) I tended to lean toward historical fiction, as I've been neck deep in revisions of my own middle grade manuscript these last few months, and didn't want to stray too far from that genre. As was the case in my last Reading Roundup post: while I love writing my own stories, I'm terrible at writing reviews. Know that I loved all of these books! The summaries below are provided by the authors/publishers. 

Middle Grade Books:
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Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly
Apple has always felt a little different from her classmates. She and her mother moved to Louisiana from the Philippines when she was little, and her mother still cooks Filipino foods and chastises Apple for becoming "too American." When Apple's friends turn on her and everything about her life starts to seem weird and embarrassing, Apple turns to music. If she can just save enough to buy a guitar and learn to play, maybe she can change herself. It might be the music that saves her . . . or it might be her two new friends, who show her how special she really is.

The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman
On a spring morning, neighbors Valentina Kaplan and Oksana Savchenko wake up to an angry red sky. A reactor at the nuclear power plant where their fathers work--Chernobyl--has exploded. Before they know it, the two girls, who've always been enemies, find themselves on a train bound for Leningrad to stay with Valentina's estranged grandmother, Rita Grigorievna. In their new lives in Leningrad, they begin to learn what it means to trust another person. Oksana must face the lies her parents told her all her life. Valentina must keep her grandmother's secret, one that could put all their lives in danger. And both of them discover something they've wished for: a best friend. But how far would you go to save your best friend's life? Would you risk your own?

Lucky Broken Girl by Ruth Behar
​Ruthie Mizrahi and her family recently emigrated from Castro's Cuba to New York City. Just when she's finally beginning to gain confidence in her mastery of English--and enjoying her reign as her neighborhood's hopscotch queen--a horrific car accident leaves her in a body cast and confined her to her bed for a long recovery. As Ruthie's world shrinks because of her inability to move, her powers of observation and her heart grow larger and she comes to understand how fragile life is, how vulnerable we all are as human beings, and how friends, neighbors, and the power of the arts can sweeten even the worst of times.

A Place To Hang The Moon by Kate Albus
It is 1940 and William, 12, Edmund, 11, and Anna, 9, aren't terribly upset by the death of the not-so-grandmotherly grandmother who has taken care of them since their parents died. But the children do need a guardian, and in the dark days of World War II London, those are in short supply, especially if they hope to stay together. Could the mass wartime evacuation of children from London to the countryside be the answer? It's a preposterous plan, but off they go-- keeping their predicament a secret, and hoping to be placed in a temporary home that ends up lasting forever. Moving from one billet to another, the children suffer the cruel trickery of foster brothers, the cold realities of outdoor toilets and the hollowness of empty stomachs. They find comfort in the village lending library, whose kind librarian, Nora Müller, seems an excellent choice of billet, except that her German husband's whereabouts are currently unknown, and some of the villagers consider her unsuitable.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thannhà Lai 
Hà has only ever known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope--toward America. Inspired by the author's childhood experience as a refugee--fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama--this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child's-eye view of family and immigration.

Adult Books:

Klara And The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
The first novel by Kazuo Ishiguro since he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her ... offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

Where the Stork Flies by Linda C. Wisniewski
Kat is at loose ends after her husband ditched her and their daughter followed suit. When a lost time traveler appears in her Pennsylvania kitchen, she grasps at the chance to give her life meaning by helping the woman find her way home. But a mysterious stranger insists they are together for a purpose. Slipping through a portal to an 1825 Polish village, Kat meets her own ancestors and discovers how her own mistakes derailed her life. Can she bring her new understanding of forgiveness and unconditional love back to the present and heal her family before it's too late?
​
The Remains of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
This is Kazuo Ishiguro's profoundly compelling portrait of Stevens, the perfect butler, and of his fading, insular world in post-World War II England. Stevens, at the end of three decades of service at Darlington Hall, spending a day on a country drive, embarks as well on a journey through the past in an effort to reassure himself that he has served humanity by serving the great gentleman, Lord Darlington. But lurking in his memory are doubts about the true nature of Lord Darlington's greatness, and much graver doubts about the nature of his own life.
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