#kitlitchat

Bonus Blog

Mass Center for the Book announced the 2016 Mass Book Award and Honor winners today!

These awards recognize and celebrate amazing contributions to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children’s/young adult works by residents of Massachusetts or are about Massachusetts.

The top Picture Book Winner went to the amazing book Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed published by Candlewick Press and written by Leslea Newman and illustrated by Amy June Bates.

Ali Feldman won the Young Adult/Middle Reader Award with the wonderful, thought provoking The Thing about Jellyfish published by Little Brown.

Mass Book Award Honors went to well-deserved titles including a few of my very favorites!

Holly Black’s heart stopping The Darkest Part of the Forest published by Little Brown was honored in the Young Adult/Middle Reader category.

Jane Yolen and Heidi E. Y. Stemple were honored for their collaboration with Melissa Sweet for the beautiful, thoughtful You Nest Here with Me published by Boyds Mill.  

Also honored was Matt Tavares for his latest piece of treasured history, Growing Up Pedro published by Candlewick Press.

For a complete list of winners and more information about the Mass Book Award please visit massbook.org.

The Book Wrangler

Welcome to my new site! The Book Wrangler is a year in the making and I’m going to start off with my favorite new section, The Book Review! I will also be sharing a great deal of book related information and doing a lot of book giveaways too, so I hope to see lots of activity from all of you!

This week I am reviewing Barbara O’Connor’s new Middle Grade Novel WISH.  The latest in my devoured pile!  Seriously, I could not put it down and cried a bit when I had to.

Family, Friendship, Peach Cobbler, Blue Ridge Mountains, Stray Dogs, Ratty Couches, Orange Jell-O, Love and most of all Wishes can be found in Barbara O’Connor’s book Wish.  Charlie is a nine year old girl trying her best to understand her current circumstances in Colby, North Carolina.  While learning to live with an estranged Aunt and Uncle she learns the meaning of all those wonderful things some of us take for granted.

It filled me with hope during a trying time.  I can just imagine the hope it will bring thousands of Middle Grade readers everywhere. Don’t Walk, Run to your nearest Indie and buy this book. Now. Or order from your online retailer.  I truly cannot recommend this book enough.  Wait, it’s 11:11 time for a wish. :)