FREE workshop on writing for children

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I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be part of a panel of authors presenting a FREE workshop on writing for young readers on Sunday, October 23.

FREE writing workshop! Come hear five mystery writers talk about writing for children

Registration and parking are all free. Just sign up here.

Here are the rest of the details:

Sunday, Oct. 23, 1 p.m.-3 p.m., Concordia University Chicago, Christopher Center Room 200, River Forest, IL
Expect some treats and tricks—writing tricks, that is—as five Chicago-area mystery authors discuss writing and publishing stories for young readers in an event co-hosted by the Midwest Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and Concordia University Chicago’s Center for Literacy. The event is free and open to writers and readers of all ages. Free parking is available in Lot 1, at the corner of Augusta and Monroe.

“Tricks (and Treats) for Writing for Young Readers” will feature Kate Hannigan, author of The Detective’s Assistant, winner of the 2016 Golden Kite Award for best middle-grade novel from the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators; Keir Graff, executive editor of Booklist publications and author of two middle grade books, The Other Felix and, coming soon, The Matchstick Castle; Michelle Falkoff, author of the young adult titles Pushing Perfect and Playlist for the Dead; A.J. Cattapan, author of the middle grade adventure Seven Riddles to Nowhere; and Natasha Tarpley, author of the best-selling picture book, I Love My Hair! and the forthcoming middle grade mystery The Harlem Charade and the co-founder of Voonderbar!, a multicultural children’s book publisher.

Book Trailer for Seven Riddles to Nowhere

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I’ve finally put together a book trailer for Seven Riddles to Nowhere.

Feel free to let me know what you think and to share it with others you think might be interested!

Happy Book Release Day!

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Today is the official release day of

Seven Riddles to Nowhere!

Amazon and Barnes & Noble are both selling the paperback version at a 32% discount right now. I don’t know how long this sale price will last, but I recommend you grab it while you can!

7 Riddles Sale prices launch

 

Also don’t forget about the party we’re having on Facebook tonight! So many great giveaways!

7 Riddles Launch Ad

 

Facebook Launch Party for Seven Riddles to Nowhere!

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It is now less than a month until the release of my middle grade mystery Seven Riddles to Nowhere!

Where has all the time gone?

Like I did with Angelhood, there will be a launch party on Facebook with lots of fun giveaways! You might win a copy of Seven Riddles to Nowhere, Angelhood, book marks, pens, or one of many other children’s books (from picture books up to young adult books) that my writing friends have generously donated.

So if you’re on Facebook, come join us here on Wednesday, August 31, from 7-9 p.m. Central Time.

7 Riddles Facebook party header

Monday Book Review: The Phantom Bully by Jeffrey Brown

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I picked up this book thinking it would be cute for my nephew for his birthday, and I ended up reading it myself. What can I say? I’m a Star Wars geek through and through.

Monday Book Review: Star Wars: Jedi Academy #3: The Phanton BullyTitle: The Phantom Bully (Star Wars: Jedi Academy #3)

Author: Jeffrey Brown

Genre: sci-fi graphic novel

Age group: middle grade

I had no idea this was the third book in the series when I first picked it up, but the book is written in such a way that it’s okay if you didn’t read the first two. This book has main character Roan in his third year of middle school. His middle school just happens to be a Jedi training academy. He’s had a history of getting into trouble (in an oops-did-I-do-that kind of way), and now someone seems intent on making middle school miserable for him.

As a middle school teacher, I enjoyed how Brown incorporated typical middle school issues into his story (first “loves,” teachers who seem difficult but really just want the best for their students, friendship issues, and bullying). As a Star Wars geek, I love how he stayed true to the Star Wars world and added in jokes that Star Wars fans will appreciate. The characters are original yet still familiar. There are droids like C-3PO and R2-D2 who acts as chaperones when Roan and his friends want to “double date.”

One happy surprise was discovering that Brown finds engaging ways to bring some positive moral messages into the story. Not only does he tackle how to handle bullies well, but he also brings up ethical issues like the “right” way to use the Jedi mind trick.

Monday Book Review: The Phantom Bully (Star Wars: Jedi Academy #3)

Here is what Roan has learned about the ethical ways to use the Jedi mind trick.

So if you have any Star Wars fans in your house, check out the Star Wars: Jedi Academy series. Very fun reading with some nice messages!

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Monday Book Review: Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy by Susan Vaught

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Every year I try to read the Edgar Award nominees for juvenile and young adult fiction before the winners are announced. Due to time constraints with the doctorate program, I completely failed this year. However, I did manage to read the winner in the juvenile category recently, so here it is!

Footer DavisTitle: Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy

Author: Susan Vaught

Genre: mystery

Age group: middle grade

Synopsis: Footer Davis’s mother has bipolar disorder.  Sometimes she’s just fine–but not if she doesn’t take her pills. Prior to the opening of our story, there was a terrible fire on a neighbor’s farm. The two Abrams kids who live there haven’t been seen since. Were they so badly burned in the fire no one could find their remains? Or have they fled? Footer and her best friend Peavine decide to investigate, and what Footer finds scares her into thinking maybe she had something to do with the fire herself.

Author Susan Vaught works in the mental health field, so she’s definitely writing about something she has experience with here. The story is told in first-person from the perspective of young Footer Davis. Footer has a very unique voice. It’s one of the strengths of this story, but I’ll also admit it’s part of what made this story a little hard for me to get into at first. After all, Footer Davis “probably is crazy,” and her thoughts can be hard to follow. When are we being told the truth? When are we experiencing visions or a dream through Footer’s perspective? Or is she just remembering the past?

Thankfully, once you get used to Footer’s unique voice, the story moves along very rapidly. The author also does a great job with the ending. Often in middle grade mysteries, I can guess where the author is headed. It took almost until the surprising ending for me to figure out where this was all headed. And then once I figured it out, I wanted to shout at Footer, “Hey! Don’t you see what’s going on here?!?”

Some might wonder with all of this talk of mental illness if this is appropriate for middle grade readers. Yes, it’s definitely told with a middle grade voice, not a YA voice. I would put it a little akin to the great story So B. It by Sarah Weeks which deals with a character whose mother is mentally challenged.

So if you’re into middle grade mysteries with unique main characters, check out Footer Davis Probably Is Crazy.

Monday Book Review: The Sign of The Carved Cross by Lisa Hendey

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The Sign of the Carved Cross is the second book in the Chime Travelers series. I suppose I really should have read the first book in the series before diving into book 2, but luckily, Lisa Hendey fills in enough details that if you missed book 1, you can still read book 2!

The Chime Travelers series is about a brother and sister who travel back in time and visit with saints. Their time-travel journeys start with the chiming of church bells.

Monday Book Review: Sign of the Carved Cross--second book in the Chima Travelers series by Lisa HendeyTitle: The Sign of the Carved Cross

Author: Lisa Hendey

Genre: Mystery

Age group: chapter book (grades 2-4)

Synopsis: When a new girl starts at Katie’s school, Katie joins her friends in excluding her from all their fun. But when Katie and her family help clean the church and the bells begin to chime, Katie is suddenly transported back to 1675. Tossed into a Native American village, Katie gets a sense of what it’s like to be “the new girl.” Luckily, she finds a friend in Tekakwitha, a young woman who knows what it’s like to be an outsider. Tekakwitha has scars on her face from a terrible disease, and her uncle’s family looks down on her for being a Christian. While Tekakwitha and Katie bond, things become worse in the village for Tekakwitha, and soon the girls are forced to run away in the middle of the night.

You may have guessed that Tekakwitha turns out to be St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Native American woman to be canonized. While I remember hearing about St. Kateri in school and I remember her being canonized in 2012, I really didn’t know too much about her. This book is a delightful introduction to this beautiful saint. Not only is this a lovely, intimate way to learn about St. Kateri, but it’s a fun read as well. Hendey keeps the story  moving along quickly, and young people will enjoy getting to know Katie and her family through this series. I love that the very “real life” problems of bullying and exclusion are worked so nicely into this story and in ways that children can easily relate to.

The book also includes discussion questions, a prayer in honor of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and a prayer before receiving Communion. There are at least four books in the series out now. You can check them out here.

For news on my upcoming middle grade mystery and a chance to win a free copy, be sure to join my Insiders Club here.

Cover Reveal for Seven Riddles to Nowhere!

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I’m so excited to share with you the cover for Seven Riddles to Nowhere!

What do you think? Tell me in the comments below. I’d love to hear your thoughts.

7 Riddles to Nowhere, a middle grade mystery by award-winning author A.J. Cattapan

7 riddles. 1 fortune. Way too many competitors.

All seventh grader Kameron Boyd wants to do is keep his little Catholic school from closing. It’s the only school where they’ve made life as a selective mute somewhat bearable. As the school faces financial distress, Kam learns he is one of many potential heirs to a fortune large enough to keep his school open.

With the school’s bully as one of the other potential heirs, Kam and his friends race to solve the riddles first. Their journey takes them through the churches of Chicago to decipher the hidden meanings in artwork all while avoiding the mysterious men following them. But creepy men in trench coats won’t stop them! They’re on a quest–not only to keep the school open, but to help Kam recover his voice.

 

Behind-the-scenes of one of my settings!

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Last weekend, I went out and did some photo shoots of some of the Chicagoland locations used in my upcoming middle grade mystery Seven Riddles to Nowhere.

In this video, I take you behind the scenes of the Chicago suburban location that started it all!

For more behind-the-scenes peaks, be sure to sign up for my monthly newsletter!

 

 

Monday Book Review: The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven by Brandon Mull

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A couple years ago, I posted one of my Monday Book Reviews on Fablehaven by Brandon Mull. The book first came to my attention because it was reviewed in a newsletter by a bookseller who had (in that same issue) included an article I wrote about how I use contemporary fantasy novels and classical mythology to teach the concept of a hero story.

If you’re not familiar with Mull’s Fablehaven series and you’re a fan of middle grade fantasy, I recommend you check them out. I’ve found that many of my students who are fans of Harry Potter or books like A Tale Dark & Grimm have really enjoyed this series.

Thus, when the publisher emailed me and invited me to take part in the blog tour for The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven, I was very excited. For my participation, I received a free NetGalley copy of the book.

Caretaker's Guide to Fablehaven

The Caretaker’s Guide to Fablehaven is akin to Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them from the Harry Potter series. In other words, instead of a story, what we have here is a book detailing all the fantastical creatures one might run into at Fablehaven. In alphabetical order and with beautiful illustrations, each creature is described, along with how you should best interact with them, especially if you end up being their caretaker!

Unfortunately, because I was looking at a NetGalley copy on my iPad, the gorgeous illustrations didn’t always line up quite right with the descriptions; however, if you head over to Amazon and look at the sample pages, you’ll see that this is clearly going to be a beautiful book when it comes out in hardcover, which officially happens . . . oh, that’s right, TOMORROW!!!!

So happy early release day, Brandon Mull! And happy reading to all you fans of Fablehaven!

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