There’s only one trait that marks the writer. He is always watching. It’s a kind of trick of the mind and he is born with it.
Morley Callaghan
Author: Susan Uhlig
Your pitch paragraph… It’s tough to condense a 300-page novel into a few snappy sentences. Focus on the first third of your book to garner interest.
Ashlyn Macnamara
Your pitch paragraph…
The Labors of Hercules Beal
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
The Labors of Hercules Beal (HarperCollins, 2023) by Gary D. Schmidt is another winning story.
The smallest kid in his class, Herc Beal is named after Hercules. Yep, the mythical hero. His homeroom teacher at Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences assigns him the task of completing the hero’s twelve feats. Like that’s possible. But his new teacher, Lieutenant Colonel Hupner, doesn’t care. On top of that Herc’s parents are dead, his brother Achilles is dating a vampire, and Achilles gets him a rabbit named Honey Bunny instead of the Dog Herc wants. Can life get any worse?
This award-winning author has other great books. I’ve previously recommended Orbiting Jupiter; Pay Attention, Carter Jones; and Okay for Now. Read about all his books here, where you can order signed copies.
What Is Hope?
Perfect Picture Book Friday
What Is Hope? (Nancy Paulsen Books, 2023) by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic and illustrated by Kelsey Buzzell is an encouraging book of hope. And good for spring too.
In this rhyming story hope is compared to colorful poppies, riding a bike, a treehouse, hearing music, and more. One favorite line is “Hope is a sentence, reading all the words through.” My favorite spread is the one with kitties purring “in a fur-covered coat.” And I love the ending.
Read about the author here and see her books here.
I love Kelsey’s illustrations here. Check out her books here.
It’s not about you. It’s about the reader.
Jessica Linn Evans