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ERICA BAUERMEISTER

Seattle, Washington
Email Erica Bauermeister
ericabauermeister.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE SCHOOL OF ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS (2009; pb, Putnam, January 5, 2010)
Once a month, eight students gather in Lillian's restaurant for a cooking class. Over time, the paths of the students intertwine, while the essence of Lillian's cooking expands into the secret corners of their lives. Publishers Weekly: "Remarkable debut." People Magazine: "Food network fans will devour this first novel." Indie Next Pick.

SEE ERICA BAUERMEISTER'S RECIPE FOR TOM'S PASTA SAUCE

DONNA WOOLFOLK CROSS

Email Donna Woolfolk Cross
popejoan.com


POPE JOAN (1996, Ballantine Books, pb)
The dramatic story of the only woman ever to sit on the throne
of St. Peter. Los Angeles Times: "Fascinating. Explores the extraordinary life of an independent, intelligent, and courageous woman who overcomes oppression and ascends to the highest religious power." Library Journal: "Highly recommended."

SEE DONNA WOOLFOLK CROSS'S RECIPE FOR FRIED ALMONDS

BARBARA DELINSKY

Email Barbara Delinsky
barbaradelinsky.com
Upcoming Appearances 

NOT MY DAUGHTER (January 2010, Doubleday)
A pregnancy pact between three teenaged girls puts their mothers' love to the ultimate test in this explosive new novel. When Susan Tate's seventeen-year-old daughter, Lily, announces she is pregnant, Susan is stunned. A single mother, she has struggled to do everything right. She sees the pregnancy as an unimaginable tragedy for both Lily and herself.

Then comes word of two more pregnancies among high school juniors who happen to be Lily's best friends - and the town turns to talk of a pact. As fingers start pointing, the most ardent criticism is directed at Susan. As principal of the high school, she has always been held up as a role model of hard work and core values. Now her detractors accuse her of being a lax mother, perhaps not worthy of the job of shepherding impressionable students. As Susan struggles with the implications of her daughter's pregnancy, her job, financial independence, and long-fought-for dreams are all at risk.

WHILE MY SISTER SLEEPS (2009, Doubleday)
At 27, Molly Snow is the youngest of three siblings. Feisty but
hard-working, she has always been overshadowed by her older sister, Robin, an elite marathoner who is favored to shine at the upcoming Olympic trials. When Robin suffers a heart attack during a training run and fails to regain consciousness, her family is devastated. As Molly's parents fold under the heartbreak and her brother retreats into the cool reserve that is threatening his marriage, Molly is the one left standing. By default, she is thrust into the role of family spokesperson, not only with friends and the media, but at Snow Hill, the family's hugely successful tree and plant nursery. More crucially, Molly becomes her sister's voice when Robin can't speak for herself. In the process, she finds her own voice.

SEE BARBARA DELINSKY'S RECIPES FOR LENTIL SOUP AND HOT MULLED CIDER

THE SECRET BETWEEN US (2008; pb, Broadway, 2008)
Deborah Monroe and teenage daughter Grace are driving one
night in a raging rainstorm when their car hits a pedestrian who
later dies. They share a secret concerning the accident, a lie that takes on a life of its own and threatens both their everyday lives and the special bond between them. THE SECRET BETWEEN US is about making bad choices for the right reasons. It explores the limits of responsibility and the price we pay for denying the truth. Publishers Weekly: "Absorbing, unpredictable storytelling - a winning combination."

SEE BARBARA DELINSKY'S RECIPE FOR SoMA STICKIES

FAMILY TREE (2007; pb, Broadway, 2007)
When a white couple gives birth to a baby with distinctly black features, a family is thrown into turmoil. Hugh Clarke, born into a pedigreed New England family, devotes his professional life to championing minorities but is blindsided by his daughter's color.He urges his wife Dana, whose heritage is unknown, to start digging for answers. FAMILY TREE delves into issues of trust, privilege, and identity. The London Times: "A sensitive exploration of the prejudices that many hold but few express."

HEATHER FREDERICK

Portland, Oregon
Email Heather Frederick
heathervogelfrederick.com

DEAR PEN PAL (2009, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers) INTERMEDIATE
The third installment in the Mother-Daughter Book Club series finds the girls teaming up with a book club in Wyoming to read Jean Webster's classic Daddy-Long-Legs. As long as they have one another - and a good book - they're ready for whatever eighth grade has in store!

MUCH ADO ABOUT ANNE (2008; pb, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009) INTERMEDIATE
Drama is required reading in this spirited sequel to The Mother-Daughter Book Club, as the 7th grade queen bee joins the club in reading Anne of Green Gables. Can the girls work together to save Half Moon Farm?  School Library Journal: "The pace is fast, the concerns and emotions real.  The girls are gutsy problem-solvers."

THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB (2007; pb, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008) INTERMEDIATE
What begins as a mom-imposed ritual of reading Little Women helps four unlikely friends navigate the drama of middle school.  Borders Book Club Pick. Girls' Life Top 10. Children's Book World: "4 wildly different girls + 4 slightly crazy mothers + 8 copies of LITTLE WOMEN = 1 fabulous read."

HEATHER GUDENKAUF

Iowa
Email Heather Gudenkauf
heathergudenkauf.com
Upcoming Appearances


THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE (Mira, 2009, pb) 
It happens quietly one August morning. As dawn's shimmering light drenches the humid Iowa air, two families awaken to find their little girls have gone missing in the night. Now these families are tied by the question of what happened to their children. And the answer is trapped in the silence of unspoken family secrets. Diane Chamberlain, bestselling author: "...beautifully written, compassionately told, and relentlessly suspenseful...a story you won't be able to put down."

JANE GUILL

Email Jane Guill
janeguill.com
Upcoming Appearances

NECTAR FROM A STONE (2005, Touchstone, pb)
A medieval Welshwoman murders her brutal husband, then flees. But visions warn her that the future might be even more dangerous than the past. Booklist: "Irresistibly interwoven with elements of passion, intrigue, and the supernatural." Rain Taxi: "A feminist manifesto for a time in which neither feminism nor novels existed. Luminous."

Los Angeles, California
Email Anna Hays  
portiaavatar.com

PORTIA'S EXCLUSIVE AND CONFIDENTIAL RULES ON TRUE FRIENDSHIP (May 2009, Aladdin MIX, pb) INTERMEDIATE
When an unusual new girl enlists Portia to solve a perplexing case of a severely depressed bunny, Portia finds herself unexpectedly making a new friend while facing high drama with an old one. She soon learns that the biggest mystery of all is friendship itself and sets out to find some answers about the exclusive and confidential rules of true friendship.

PORTIA'S ULTRA MYSTERIOUS DOUBLE LIFE (2008, Aladdin MIX, pb) INTERMEDIATE
Twelve-year-old Portia Avatar discovers a mysterious photograph of her missing father. She begins a search for him, and in the process learns more about her single mother and her quirky small town than she ever imagined. The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "Portia's breathless 'tweeny energy fizzes on every page." TeensReadToo.com: "Move over Harriet the Spy, Portia's in town."

LYNNE HINTON

Chewelah, Washington
Email Lynne Hinton
lynnehinton.com

CHRISTMAS CAKE (2009, Avon A, pb)
The ladies of Hope Springs, North Carolina, return nine years after Friendship Cake to create a cake cookbook they hope will buoy the spirits of one of their group, Margaret, whose cancer has returned. In hatching a plan to bring everyone together, they bring Margaret the greatest gift of all: friendship. Library Journal: "A tasty holiday treat... series fans will be delighted."

SEE LYNNE HINTON'S RECIPE FOR LEMON LAVENDER POUND CAKE

FRIENDSHIP CAKE (2002, Avon A, pb)
When five women from the Hope Springs Community Church in North Carolina form a committee to create a church cookbook, they embark on a project much more meaningful than they could have ever imagined. Maya Angelou: "I would welcome a friendship with Lynne Hinton. I would welcome an invitation to sit down at her table, but mostly I would welcome her next book."

PAM JENOFF

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Email Pam Jenoff
pamjenoff.com


ALMOST HOME (2009; pb, Washington Square Press, 2010)
Intelligence officer Jordan returns to England (which she has avoided for a decade due to memories of her boyfriend Jared’s death) to be with a sick friend.  There she is contacted by a classmate who says he doesn’t believe Jared’s death was an accident and wants to learn what really happened. Publisher's Weekly: "...a cool, contemporary romantic thriller." Richmond Times-Dispatch: "...a pleasurable and literate read, conceived with imagination and executed with dexterity."

SEE PAM JENOFF'S RECIPE FOR SHEPHERD'S PIE

THE DIPLOMAT'S WIFE (2008, Mira, pb)
Marta survives a Nazi prison, but her romance with an American soldier is tragically cut short. She starts over in London until she is drawn back to Eastern Europe to fight against Communism. But traitors have infiltrated British intelligence, and the person who can expose the leak is connected to Marta's past. Publisher's Weekly (starred review): "Historical romance fans will be well rewarded." Teletext: "...you won't read a finer historical romance this year."

THE KOMMANDANT'S GIRL (2007, Mira, pb)
When the Nazis invade Poland, and Emma’s husband disappears underground, she fights to survive under an assumed identity.  Her situation is complicated when a high-ranking Nazi insists that she work for him -- a job that will allow her to help the Resistance if she is willing to get close to him and jeopardize all she holds dear. Publisher's Weekly: "...luminous simplicity...This is historical romance at its finest." Young Lawyer/The Legal Intelligencer: "...a compelling tale...I couldn't stop turning the pages"

ALISON LARKIN

New Jersey
Email Alison Larkin
alisonlarkin.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE ENGLISH AMERICAN (2008; pb, Simon & Schuster, 2009)
Pippa Dunn is adopted by loving British parents and doesn't meet her American birth parents until she is twenty-eight. She discovers they are southern Americans and nothing at all like the practical Brits who raised her. Chaos ensues when reality collides with fantasy and Pippa finds herself struggling with two sets of parents, two opposing cultures and the fact that she is falling in love with two very different men. With a delightful, authentic adopted heroine at its center, Larkin's novel poses questions about how much of your character is nature, how much is nurture, and how much is individual choice. Redbook Magazine Book Club Selection. Vogue Magazine Most Powerful Book of the Season. Shape Magazine, Family Circle Magazine and Women's Wear Daily Scoop Best Book Picks. Chicago Sun Times: “A funny, charming and poignant book – the kind that you can’t resist reading in a single day.”

SEE ALISON LARKIN'S RECIPES FOR THE PERFECT POT OF TEA AND MY DAD'S ORANGE MARMALADE

YAEL GOLDSTEIN LOVE

Cambridge, Massachusetts
Email Yael Goldstein Love
yaelgoldsteinlove.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE PASSION OF TASHA DARSKY (2007, published as OVERTURE; pb, Broadway Books, 2008)
A world-famous violinist confronts the sins she's committed toward music, men, and, most importantly, her daughter in this captivating glimpse into the world of classical music. The New York Times Book Review: "... A writer of great emotional precocity. . . The relationships she has created are genuinely affecting and complex. . . Shows signs of brooding genius. Los Angeles Times: "[A work of] fiction deeply involved with intellect and ideas, warmed by sensitively delineated emotions and propelled by strong storytelling... establishes Yael Goldstein as a writer with a distinctive voice of her own."

SEE YAEL GOLDSTEIN LOVE'S RECIPE FOR ARMENIAN KOFTA WITH MASHED POTATO, PINE NUTS, AND RAISINS

LISA LUTZ

San Francisco, California
Email Lisa Lutz
lisalutz.com

CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS (2008; pb, Simon & Schuster,
2009)
The Spellman family's adventures continue in CURSE OF THE SPELLMANS. Isabel Spellman is back and she's just been sprung from jail for the fourth time in three months. When she finds herself homeless and simultaneously barred from the Spellman offices-cum-residence by a very inconvenient temporary restraining order, Izzy meets with Mort Schilling, her octogenarian lawyer, to hammer out a defense and save her now endangered P. I. license. Over San Franciscos best New York-style deli fare, Izzy recaps the highlights of her recent past and her encounters with the man whose villainy she's determined to unveil—even if she must break the law to do it.

REVENGE OF THE SPELLMANS (2009, Simon & Schuster)
Private investigator Izzy Spellman is back on the case and back on the couch—in court–ordered therapy after getting a little too close to her previous subject. Her newest client is a husband worried that his wife is cheating on him—a seemingly open–and–shut case that won't quite stay shut. When it finally explodes, the fallout reaches the highest levels of city politics. And takes Izzy into uncharted territory. Meanwhile, her brother, David, the family's most upright member, has left the country—and maybe his senses. When her wayward sister Rae aces her SATs, no one knows if it's just another scam. Even Izzy's mom might be running a con. Add to the mix a pair of mysterious women who don't quite seem themselves, a local PI out for revenge, and a car that never stays where Isabel parks it.

THE SPELLMANS FILES (2007; pb Simon & Schuster,
February, 2008)
In THE SPELLMANS FILES you first meet Isabel Spellman, private
investigator. This twenty-eight-year-old may have a checkered past littered with romantic mistakes, excessive drinking, and creative vandalism; she may be addicted to Get Smart reruns and prefer entering homes through windows rather than doors—but the upshot is she's good at her job as a licensed private investigator with her family's firm, Spellman Investigations. Invading people's privacy comes naturally to Isabel. In fact, it comes naturally to all the Spellmans. If only they could leave their work at the office. To be a Spellman is to snoop on a Spellman, tail a Spellman, dig up dirt on, blackmail, and wiretap a Spellman.

TARA L. MASIH

Andover, Massachusetts
Email Tara L. Masih
taramasih.com
Upcoming Appearances

WHERE THE DOG STAR NEVER GLOWS: STORIES (2010, Press 53, pb)
In this impressive debut, ghosts dance, butterflies swarm, men crystallize, the sun disappears, and water plays a role in both destruction and repair of the soul. Publishers Weekly: "Striking and resonant. . . ." BookLoons: "[H]ard to identify a weak link... an excellent collection that should appeal to many readers." carp(e) libris reviews: "That beautiful spirit that permeates Masih’s short stories is nothing short of extraordinary." Alex Myers, NewPages: "Masih demonstrates that short fiction doesn't mean small ideas. ...she crafts stories that delve into the essential questions of human nature..." A NewPages New & Noteworthy selection.

JIM MINICK
Virginia
Email Jim Minick
jimminick.com
Upcoming Appearances

THE BLUEBERRY YEARS (Thomas Dunne/St. Martin's, 2010)
The story of Minick’s experience creating, operating, and eventually selling one of the mid-Atlantic’s first certified-organic, pick-your-own blueberry farms, where, for a decade, the author and his wife planted, pruned, and picked while also opening the field to hundreds of people who came to harvest berries. These pickers shared blueberry-flavored moonshine and sober religion, warm hugs and cool hats, and always bushels of stories. To give a larger context to the Minicks’ story, the author includes brief chapters on national issues such as organic foods and new farmers. He also includes short interludes on all things blueberry, like the fruit’s many health benefits or the blueberry in literature. Ultimately, though, this book tells the story of a young couple pursuing their blueberry dream. Author Ron Rash: "...We are given a wisdom that has, at its center, a quiet and abiding humility. What a fine, fine book...”

BURNING HEAVEN (Wind Publications, 2008, pb)
Burning Heaven captures the many paradoxes of this life - of how we break a law to preserve a love, burn a calf to prevent injury, or watch an Easter snow kill so many blooms. We burn this heaven of our own lives simply by overlooking a bird's flight, or forgetting our lover's beauty, or worse, by hollowing out mountains to create safe bunkers. These poems explore the ideas of heaven, loss and love, of singing the pebble, dyeing in color, and puzzling together the whole world. And Burning Heaven quietly calls readers to look closely as well. Winner of the 2008 Book of the Year Award from the Virginia College Bookstores Association.


HER SECRET SONG (Motes Books, 2008, pb)
Her Secret Song captures the life of the author's aunt who died of cancer. But this book also shows that even when close to death, it's not too late to touch others. Aunt Ruth and her nephew Jim Minick didn't know each other well since they lived far apart. But during her last six months, the poet visited often and even after she died, he came to know, admire, and love this woman. Her Secret Song tells her story of living with the elephant man's disease, as well as the growing friendship between nephew and aunt. And through beautiful photographs, it also explores Ruth's early childhood and the family that shaped her.

SEE JIM MINICK'S RECIPES FOR BLUEBERRY ROLL, BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE AND BLUEBERRY BACARDI

JACQUELYN MITCHARD

Email Jacquelyn Mitchard
jackiemitchard.com

NO TIME TO WAVE GOODBYE (2009, Random House)
New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard captured the heart of a nation with The Deep End of the Ocean, her celebrated debut novel about mother Beth Cappadora, a child kidnapped, a family in crisis. Now, in No Time to Wave Goodbye, the unforgettable Cappadoras are in peril once again, forced to confront an unimaginable evil.

SEE JAQUELYN MITCHARD'S RECIPE FOR NEXT DAY RICE PUDDING

STILL SUMMER (2007; pb, Grand Central, 2008)
When four friends who ruled the school twenty years ago gather for an
idyllic sailing vacation – meant to comfort Olivia, who has returned home a widow after twenty years abroad – they expect two weeks of gossip, sunbathing and drinks with little umbrellas.Instead, two days into their crossing, a single small mistake turns paradise a sun-baked hell.

The same elements that combined to make this trip an adventure in paradise combine in for survival. Surrounded by water, but with almost none to drink, with refrigerators filled with gourmet food rotting before they can used it, and a deluxe communication system ruined in an instant, the women must hide from the punishing sun and use all their strength and intelligence to try to outwit nature, their own demons and human predators.What happens when friendship must face the ultimate test? Does the better nature prevail or is it everyone for herself?

CAGE OF STARS (2006; pb, Grand Central, 2007)
12-year-old Veronica Swan's idyllic life in a close-knit Mormon
community is shattered when her two younger sisters are brutallymurdered. Although her parents find the strength to forgive the deranged killer, Scott Early, Veronica cannot do the same. Years later, she sets out alone to avenge her sisters' deaths, dropping her identity and severing ties in the process. As she closes in on Early, Veronica will discover the true meaning of sin and compassion, before she makes a decision that will change her and her family's lives forever.

YOUNG ADULT

LOOK BOTH WAYS (2009, Razorbill) YOUNG ADULT
Look Both Ways continues the story of Mallory and Merry, begun in the first novel of The Midnight Twins trilogy. Mirror-image twins born a minute before and a minute after midnight on New Year's Eve, they're trapped in a near-fatal fire on the night they turn thirteen. Their "twin telepathy" that has allowed them to"talk without words" all their lives turns into a terrifying psychic gift to see the heart of evil in their small rural town. Mallory can see only the future; Merry can see only the past. But when they put their visions together, they learn that Mallory's best friend, Eden, is the embodiment of an ancient Indian legend. A shape-shifter, Eden must give up her life as an ordinary girl and serve her clan as medicine woman. Whoever should see Eden in her shape as a white panther is doomed to bad luck; but, as Mallory learns, anyone who actually sees her transform must die. How can the twins save Eden, who wants to run from her ancient destiny, without risking their own lives?

SEE JACKIE MITCHARD'S RECIPE FOR INDIAN FRY BREAD

THE MIDNIGHT TWINS (2007; pb, Razorbill, 2009) YOUNG ADULT
Meredith and Mallory Brynn are mirror twins born on either side of midnight one snowy New Year’s Eve. They have always been inseparable. But after they are nearly killed in a mysterious fire on their thirteenth birthday, the bond that has always joined them unravels. They begin to have visions and dreams that reveal the deep secrets kept by the people around them. Meredith and Mallory realize they have each been given a gift: Mallory can see deep into the past; Meredith can see the future. But when they discover that one boy is not what they imagined, their lives will be changed forever. If they can survive . . .

NOW YOU SEE HER (2007, HarperTeen) YOUNG ADULT
On the surface, Hope is beautiful, a straight “A” student and a talented actress. But behind the scenes something strange is going on. When Hope is found in the woods and claims to have been abducted, her story does not make sense. Could it be that she faked her own kidnapping? As she tries to answer that question, Hope begins to doubt her own story and even her sanity. School Library Journal: "This riveting page-turner is sure to be in hot demand."

BARRY POLLACK

Westlake Village, California
Email Barry Pollack
BarryPollack.net

FORTY-EIGHT X: THE LEMURIA PROJECT (Medallion Press, 2009)
America’s greatest scientists engage in a top secret project to genetically engineer a new kind of soldier -- lethal, near invincible, yet expendable. Two romantically mismatched
couples unravel the secret and reveal a chimera, a new species that might one day vie with the human race for dominance. From IPB Reviews: “The author crafts this tale with the skill of a historian, a political pundit, and a scientific scholar. A provocative mixture of adventure, science, and military might.”

JEWELL PARKER RHODES

Scottsdale, Arizona and Natick, Massachusetts
Email Jewell Parker Rhodes
jewellparkerrhodes.com

YELLOW MOON (Atria, 2008)
Jewell Parker Rhodes continues the magical, mystical story of legendary voodoo priestess Marie Laveau - begun in the best-selling Voodoo Dreams - and brings it into the New Orleans of the present day.  David Morrell, author of Creepers:  “Richly dark and vividly haunting…a magical, mysterious, and transfixing read."  Betty Webb, author of the Lena Jones mysteries:  “In this stunning novel, the author once again demonstrates that her gifts as a storyteller are unparalleled.”

SEE JEWELL PARKER RHODES'S RECIPES FOR SHRIMP AND HAM JAMBALAYA and HURRICANE COCKTAIL

DOUGLASS' WOMEN (2002; pb, Washington Square, 2003)
This historical reimagination of American hero Frederick Douglass focuses on the two women in his life and the love triangle formed as they lived under the same roof. His wife Ann, a free woman of color, bore him five children and remained at his side for over forty years, while Ottilie, his German mistress, provided him with intellectual companionship. It is a story of love and jealousy, resentment and union, and a vivid portrayal of history and a powerful man through this different lens. The Washington Post: "[A] courageous and beautiful book." Winner of the 2003 American Book Award.

VOODOO DREAMS (1993; pb, Washington Square, 1995)
Rhodes' debut novel describes the rise of Marie Laveau into the legendary voodoo practicioner of mid-nineteenth century New Orleans. Focusing on the woman behind the legend, the story weaves history and myth into its narrative fabric as Marie journeys from bayou to city in search of her lost grandmother, guided by dreams, and finds John, the voodoo doctor that opens the door for her legendary power. A bewitching read--erotic, atmospheric, exploring the intersections of race, class, gender, and feminine spiritual power. Publishers' Weekly: "Rivet[ing]"  

IZZY ROSE

Austin, Texas
Email Izzy Rose
izzyrose.com
Upcoming Events

THE PACKAGE DEAL: MY (NOT-SO) GLAMOROUS TRANSITION
FROM SINGLE GAL TO INSTANT MOM (2009; Random House, pb)
One woman’s outrageously funny and poignant journey from sophisticated, single gal in San Francisco to married with (step)children in Texas, where she reinvents the stepmother role for a new generation of daring, confident women. A tribute to any woman who's ever fallen in love and then asked, What exactly
did I get myself into? Redbook: "Refreshingly honest." Library Journal: "Candid and optimistic."

JENNIE SHORTRIDGE

Seattle, Washington
Email Jennie Shortridge
jennieshortridge.com
Upcoming Appearances

WHEN SHE FLEW (2009, NAL, pb)
Inspired by true events, this is the story of an Iraq-war vet raising his 13-year-old daughter in the woods, and the police woman who finds them and breaks all the rules to keep them together. Author Marisa de los Santos: "Taut, beautifully rendered."

LOVE AND BIOLOGY AT THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE (2008, NAL, pb)
A bittersweet novel that asks: how does a good girl know when to finally let herself be bad? Love & Biology is the story of middle-aged and menopausal Mira's journey away from her "perfect" small-town married life and toward the big city of Seattle, where she will finally get to know her true self. Author Garth Stein: "One terrific read!”

EATING HEAVEN (2005, NAL, pb)
Eating Heaven is the story of large-and-lonely Eleanor, a food magazine writer and secret binge eater. When her favorite uncle is diagnosed with a terminal illness, she becomes his caregiver and discovers the true meaning of food, and some juicy family secrets to boot. Recipes included in the back of the book. Author Ayelet Waldman: “A delightful, charming heroine plauged with an appetite smaller only than her good and gracious heart.”

MICHELE TORREY

South Bend, Washington
Email Michele Torrey
micheletorrey.com

DOYLE AND FOSSEY: SCIENCE DETECTIVES SERIES (pb, Sterling, 2009) INTERMEDIATE
Polish those magnifying glasses and grab your disappearing ink! Follow science detectives Drake Doyle and Nell Fossey as they solve mysteries and save the day in The Case of the Gasping Garbage and also The Case of the Mossy Lake Monster. But wait! There's more! The detective duo are back at it again, boiling test tubes, and foiling their arch enemy in The Case of the Graveyard Ghost and The Case of the Barfy Birthday. Read all four books in this hilarious detective series!

VOYAGE OF MIDNIGHT (2006; pb, Yearling, 2008) INTERMEDIATE
Caught between his lifelong desire for a family and the promise of a better life, and the shocking brutality he witnesses aboard his uncle’s slave ship, Philip must open his eyes and decide for himself the true meaning of family, freedom, and humanity. School Library Journal: “A powerful, beautifully written tale.” Named one of the “Best Children’s Books of the Year” by CBC at Bank Street College.

SEE MICHELE TORREY'S RECIPE FOR PLUM DUFF

VOYAGE OF PLUNDER (2005; pb, Yearling, 2007) INTERMEDIATE
Kidnapped by pirates, Daniel Markham must join the crew or die. Unprepared for the temptations of pirate life and for the captain’s inexplicable kindness toward him, Daniel knows only one thing for certain: one false step on a pirate ship could be deadly, and he’ll do anything to stay alive. Booklist: “A sea yarn that can stand solidly beside other classic pirate stories.” Finalist, Washington State Book Award.

VOYAGE OF ICE (2004; pb, Yearling, 2005) INTERMEDIATE
Life on a whaling ship is very different from what Nick expected. He is mercilessly overworked by a cruel captain and crew. And when an awful turn of fate leaves him stranded in the harsh Arctic winter, he must battle for his very survival. Booklist: “Torrey unspools a nailbiting adventure . . . those who like survival tales will be rapt.” Nominated for Sequoyah YA Book Award.

PETER ZHEUTLIN

Boston, Massachusetts
Email Peter Zheutlin
annielondonderry.com

AROUND THE WORLD ON TWO WHEELS: ANNIE LONDONDERRY’S EXTRAORDINARY RIDE (2007; pb, Citadel Press/Kensington, 2008)
"The most extraordinary journey ever undertaken by a woman,” said the New York World -- an audacious ‘round the world race against time on a bicycle. In 1894, under an assumed name, a working class Jewish mother from Boston turned every Victorian expectation of female propriety on its ear. This is the remarkable story of the author's great-grandaunt, who transformed herself into an international celebrity as the globe trotting cyclist, Mlle. Annie Londonderry. Booklist: "Well researched and written...she was a remarkable woman and well worth getting to know."

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