For as long as I can
remember, I’ve loved reading about the interconnectedness between humans and
nature, so I feel like Wildoak was written just for me.
It’s 1963, and eleven-year-old Maggie Stephens has a stutter that makes school impossible. Pushed to the brink, her dad sends Maggie to her grandfather’s cottage in the craggy old countryside of Cornwall, where she befriends a snow leopard cub.
It’s clear that Rumpus is in trouble,
and Maggie bravely sets out to help him. Her story is one of speaking up for
what’s right, even when everyone else in Rosemullion is against her.
An endangered forest. An abandoned snow leopard. A child who only feels comfortable talking to animals. When fates collide, the unbelievable can happen ... 'Put me in mind of Dodi Smith and Gerald Durrell at their very best - enchanting and thrilling in equal measure.' Piers Torday
'Reads like a classic. I loved it.' Pam Munoz Ryan
Maggie's stutter makes going to school hard. She will do almost anything to avoid speaking in class - even if that leads to trouble.
Sent to stay in the depths of Cornwall with a grandfather she barely knows, Maggie discovers an abandoned snow…
As the oldest of four daughters,
I’ve always relished novels that explore themes of sisterhood.
Eleven-year-old Jane Deming meets
two girls on her months-long steamship ride from New York City to Washington
Territory. Nell and Flora pledge to be “friends who are like sisters,” and although
they can’t take away the loss of Jane’s father during the Siege of Vicksburg, they
come to soften her sharp edges with their laughter and encouragement.
Disembarking in Seattle, Jane
finds that nothing is as she expected. She, her stepmother, and her baby
brother must navigate the rain and mud and learn how to support themselves in a
post-Civil War world. Fortunately, Jane has a stubborn streak, a love of
learning, and two new sister-friends who will help her get through anything.
High-spirited young Jane is excited to be part of Mr. Mercer’s plan to bring Civil War widows and orphans to Washington Territory—but life out west isn’t at all what she expects in this novel that’s perfect for fans of Avi and Little House on the Prairie.
Washington Territory is just the place for men of broad mind and sturdy constitution—and girls too, Jane figures, or Mr. Mercer wouldn’t have allowed her to come on his expedition to bring unmarried girls and Civil War widows out west.
Jane’s constitution is sturdy enough. She’s been taking care of her baby brother ever…
I adore historical fiction,
and historical fiction written for intrepid young girls is even better.
Sandra Dallas takes readers
back to the dusty, noisy mining town of Tenmile, Colorado, in 1880. Her
tenacious main character, Sallyann Carlson—known as Sissy—is the motherless thirteen-year-old
daughter of Doc, who delivers babies and dresses up wounds in his home office. He often requires Sissy’s assistance, and she rises to the challenge, even as
she grapples with much more than she bargains for.
In soothing, quiet prose,
Dallas manages to address big issues like poverty, child abuse, and sexism.
With Sissy, she presents a relatable and ambitious heroine who will inspire
readers of all ages to reach high, even when society repeatedly says No.
Life in 1880 Tenmile, Colorado, isn't easy. But it's all that 12-year-old Sissy Carlson knows. She's lived here her whole life, watching her father, the local doctor, tend to the town's citizens. And while the mountain setting is gorgeous, Tenmile is a rough gold mining town. It often feels like there's just a thin line between life and death. Mining is a hard job; men are hurt or even killed. Sissy sees the same thin line between the haves and the have-nots as she assists her father in his practice, seeing firsthand the personal and not-always-private struggles of his patients.…
I love animals, which comes as no surprise if you read my debut middle grade novel, Crossing the Pressure Line.
Clare Burch, my main character, confronts the loss of her sweet grandfather while attempting to honor the special request he made a long time ago. Her exhilarating coming-of-age summer centers on new friends, unexpected adventures, fierce goals—and her adorable wiener dog, Roger.
To my delight, Roger continues to be a fan favorite among readers. I was even asked to include him in my second novel, Marvelous Jackson—so I did!
I'm writing my third manuscript as we speak, and once again I'm incorporating a furry little creature. This time it's Cupcake, a tiny white fluffball of a kitten. (Oh, the trouble she creates!)
Not only do I love writing about pets, I love reading about them, too—which makes it easy for me to identify my favorite middle grade novels of 2024.
