Kathryn Erskine, Author
NEWS!!
THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE
(Philomel 2011)
MOCKINGBIRD
(PhilomeL 2010)
QUAKING
(Philomel 2007)
5/17/12 Mockingbird is a Massachusetts Children’s Book Award nominee for 2012-2013! You know what this means...a trip to New England is in order. :o)
5/12/12 My interview on Allison’s Book Bag and her review of Mockingbird. Along with her general post on my books, I received a hat trick! Thank you, Allison!
And don’t miss the detailed description of a Screech-in by Allison’s husband in the comments section of the interview!
Also, Allison’s post inspired me to dream about Newfoundland -- see photos here.
5/11/12 The Absolute Value of Mike is a 2013 North Carolina Children’s Book Award nominee! Thanks, NC!!!
5/9/12 Thanks to Allison’s Book Bag for this post on the theme of tolerance and understanding in my books. On May 10, 11 and 12, she’ll be posting more info, including an interview with me that includes our old common stomping grounds: Newfoundland!
5/7/12 The Absolute Value of Mike is out in paperback this month!
5/3/12 Mockingbird News:
Mockingbird as an e-book
Mockingbird as a possible book club pick
Mockingbird review on If You Liked That...
GO READ IT NOW.
5/2/12 Have you checked out the writing prompts (see tab above) lately?
5/1/12 The Absolute Value of Mike wins the Crystal Kite Award -- wow! Thanks to all my fellow authors for this beautiful, supportive writing community! And congratulations to the finalists and winners in all regions!
4/25/12 Thanks, Danielle, for this beautiful review of Mockingbird! Here’s a snippet:
Kathryn Erskine’s ‘Mockingbird’ is a novel about connecting. It’s about picking up the pieces after tragedy and finding a way to move on, with the help of other people. I adored this book, despite all the tears it wrought from me. I also had a few laughs at Caitlin’s endearing antics; she’s one of the best protagonists I have read in a long time, and Erskine’s precise Asperger’s narrative is masterful. This is an absolutely must-read book.
4/22/12 Happy Earth Day!
I took a walk in the rain, and recycled.
SO sorry to miss the Annapolis Book Festival yesterday ... a whole array of flight problems which was very frustrating. Hope everyone had a wonderful time!
4/16/12 I’ll be at the Festival of Faith & Writing in Grand Rapids, MI this week, and at the Annapolis Book Festival in MD on Saturday, April 21 -- hope to see you there!
And, wow, what a beautiful post on Unmana’s blog: Career Lessons from Mockingbird!
4/15/12 Thanks for this Mockingbird Review from Cannonball Read IV!
And another lovely review from the U.K.!
4/14/12 April is Autism Awareness Month --in honor of that, here is an amazing video, an interpretive dramatization the character of Caitlin in Mockingbird.
4/14/12 Lovely U.K. review of Mockingbird
4/12/12 The Absolute Value of Mike is on Bank Street’s Best Books of 2012 in the age 12 -14 category! Thank you, Bank Street!
4/8/12 Interview AND Giveaway!
3/31/12 I’ll be in the Scottish Borders in August -- presentations as well as research. Och, aye!
3/29/12 Another fun interview --this one with “Vocab Gal.” You’ll understand when you see the interview. :o)
3/25/12 Whew, what a busy, wonderful Festival of the Book we’ve had in Virginia!
It reminds me of the One Book, Two Book Festival in Iowa City ... and here’s a video!
3/8/12 “Creating an Authentic Cultural Voice” with Mitali Perkins & Donna Jo Napoli, Founders’ Workshop, April 26 - 29. Awesome!
I get to be a guest! And Alvina Ling!
Sign up here.livepage.apple.com
3/4/12 Lovely Mockingbird review from Jessica and Stephanie--thanks, ladies!!
3/4/12 The Virginia Festival of the Book is coming up fast with so many events. I hope I see some of you at The Big Read Event on 3/21 or Sweet Reads on 3/23.
2/22/12 More UK reviews of Mockingbird
And check out today’s writing prompt (click menu item above).
2/9/12 Mockingbird and Mike reviews:
From The Brown Bookshelf
From the British Press
From British Blogs: Nayu and @MarDixon
From a middle school librarian
2/6/12 Here’s a great blog by my friend and author Kami Kinard (THE BOY PROJECT--excellent read, by the way). I’m honored that she interviewed me!
1/27/12 Had a wonderful time in Iowa City at their children’s book festival, ONE BOOK, TWO BOOK! Here are some very insightful reviews by middle and high school students printed in the Iowa City Press Citizen:
The Absolute Value of Mike
Mockingbird
Thanks, guys!
1/25/12 Time to catch up on news and reviews!
My guest post on Bookblabbers, online book group in the U.K.
Recent reviews of Mockingbird, U.S. & U.K.
Review of The Absolute Value of Mike:
1/12/12 Thanks for this interview on Summit Series for Families, Elaina!
1/12/12 Hope to see you in Iowa City for ONE BOOK, TWO BOOK , their first annual children’s literature festival!
1/11/12 Mockingbird reviewed in the U.K.!
1/9/12 Thanks for including Mockingbird on this top ten list--along with Beth Kephart’s You Are My Only!
1/4/12 The Absolute Value of Mike as a 2011 Book of the Year:
Genrefluent -- “full of heart and soul”
and Mockingbird as a favorite of 2011:
Thanks, all!
12/31/11 Happy New Year to all!
And thank you, my dear friend Madelyn, for this “birthday” video for The Absolute Value of Mike that I somehow missed in June -- it’s beautiful!
12/30/11 Thanks to Loud Poet for this shout out for Mockingbird
and to Bookworm Blather for this lovely in-depth review.
12/29/11 The Absolute Value of Mike on a few more best of 2011/ Newbery lists!
Just One More Page (bookstore buyer)
Wilsonville Library (librarian)
ProseandKahn (school librarian)
Thank you, Dave, Sheila, and Brenda!
12/28/11 End of the year Good News!!
Mockingbird is a winner of the seventh biennial Dolly Gray Award!
Many thanks to the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (DADD)!
12/22/11 Thanks for the rave on this blog for The Absolute Value of Mike (Newberry pick, even!).
12/22/11 Lovely Mockingbird review in the Irish Examiner!
12/21/11 Thanks to these teen librarians who picked The Absolute Value of Mike as one of their “Best of 2011!” :o)
12/17/11 StorySnoop recommends The Absolute Value of Mike for tween boys. :o)
12/14/11 The Absolute Value of Mike is a “Best Children’s Books of 2011” according to BookPage--along with National Book Award Finalists and Winner, Okay for Now, Chime, and Inside Out & Back Again. Thanks, BookPage!
12/8/11 The Absolute Value of Mike is a nominee for the 2012 Capitol Choices list of Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens!
Mockingbird recommended for schools and libraries in Canada! Thanks, Maria Martella and Scott Millar!
Thanks for this review of Mockingbird from the Bearcat Book Nook!
11/24/11 Happy Thanksgiving!
And thanks to the Class of 2K12 authors for including Mockingbird on their list of “Books to be Thankful for.”
11/23/11 The Absolute Value of Mike review:
With themes of family, responsibility and value this one will give teachers and students plenty to discuss and kids something to think about long after the last page has been read.
11/22/11 Mockingbird as a book report option.
11/21/11 Lovely Mockingbird review and a drawing for a free copy. Thanks, Barbara Ann!
11/20/11 For an outtake of The Absolute Value of Mike, click here. :o)
11/5/11 Fun Mockingbird video someone created with Animoto, and a review from Uniflame Creates.
11/4/11 Thanks for this Mockingbird review from the Accidental Novelist:
It would make for endless interesting discussion on the topics of school violence, empathy, loss, and learning disorders.
11/3/11 Mockingbird as a teaching text!
11/2/11 Mockingbird: Young Adult fiction that’s not just for kids!
10/31/11 Happy Halloween! Enter to win a Life is Good cap -- who wears this cap in The Absolute Value of Mike? (There are two correct answers!) Email me (see link at left), or leave a comment at my blog.
10/29/11 Signing at Givens Books, Lynchburg, VA, Noon to 2 pm!
10/28/11 Thanks to Children’s Books Heal for this review of Mockingbird.
10/27/11 Mockingbird as part of “Asperger’s Syndrome Triumvirate” with Francisco X. Stork’s Marcelo in the Real World and Jennifer Roy’s Mindblind. LOVE Marcelo, must read Mindblind!
10/20/11 Heartfelt reviews of both Mockingbird and The Absolute Value of Mike from A Book and a Hug blog. Thanks!
10/19/11 Thanks for this Mockingbird review from middle school teacher, Tara. :o)
10/17/11 FYI, The Absolute Value of Mike is an Accelerated Reader book level 3.9 for which you earn 8 points.
10/16/11 Thanks for this review on An Education in Books, with a link to a post with tons of questions and activity ideas for Mockingbird.
10/13/11 The Absolute Value of Mike is a Newbery pick on the Imagination Blog -- wow! Thanks!!
10/2/11 Here’s a great autism resource and a lovely review of Mockingbird by its Editor in Charge--thanks, Leigh!
9/30/11 Halifax, Nova Scotia paper recommends Mockingbird -- particularly fun since I’m currently writing TWO novels that include Maritime Canada!
9/29/11 My TV interview in Richmond, VA.
Thanks to Jessica and the crew of CBS 6 “Virginia This Morning!”
9/25/11 Reminder: Read Aloud Virginia events are in Richmond, VA on Tuesday, 9/27/11. Also, I’ll be at Manchester Middle School at 6:30 pm on 9/26/11.
9/24/11 Mockingbird, Teen Pick at St. Helen’s Bookstore!
9/22/11 Thanks, Dawnette, for this fabulous review of The Absolute Value of Mike! ”Absolutely a great read!”
9/21/11 Did you know it’s National Dog Week? Click on “My Blog” (above right) for some dog photos and an interview with dog lovin’ author Bobbie Pyron (A DOG’S WAY HOME) -- which is a great book, BTW!
9/21/11 Review of Mockingbird at Fancy Little Things blog --thanks, Stephanie!
9/20/11 I will be at Read Aloud Virginia on 9/27/11, including a TV appearance on local CBS, and visits to Colonial Trail Elementary, the Library of Virginia and the Children’s Museum of Richmond.
9/19/11 And now for something completely different, a review of Quaking (my book from 2007 for teens). It’s nice to see people are still reading it!
9/17/11 ”With equal parts humor and poignancy Erskine tells a story about the redemptive power of love, what it means to be a family and what we can accomplish when we share a common goal.”
Review of The Absolute Value of Mike :o)
9/16/11 Mockingbird is on Scholastic’s Best Seller List!
9/14/11 Wow, what a beautiful review of The Absolute Value of Mike at StoryQuill -- thanks!
9/13/11 Sign up for a chance to win a free Skype visit from various authors here, thanks to the Mixed-Up Files blog!
9/12/11 Thanks for this wonderful review of The Absolute Value of Mike at Trapped in Adolescence blog!
9/10/11 The Absolute Value of Mike is on Amazon’s list of Good Reads for Boys -- check out the humor and realistic fiction titles.
"Our first experience with Kathryn Erskine and we both loved this book. It's a story about a boy whose math genius father doesn't understand him and sends him to live with his eccentric great aunt and uncle for the summer."
8/29/11 Indianapolis Marion County Library review of The Absolute Value of Mike -- fun!
And, they recommend these books if you like MIKE (and I LOVE these books!!):
Wild Things, Clay Carmichael
My Life in Pink and Green, Lisa Greenwald
The Last Newspaper Boy in America, Sue Corbett
...and Mockingbird
8/28/11 My interview on the Girls of Summer blog -- thanks, authors Meg Medina and Gigi Amateau!
8/28/11 Here are ten great book reviews by kids from a summer of reading at Devaney Doak & Garrett Booksellers. (Thank you, Gretchen!)
8/21/11 One more day to win Mockingbird or The Absolute Value of Mike on BermudaOnion (contest ends midnight EST Monday, August 22, 2011).
8/20/11 This review of The Absolute Value of Mike is so lovely I just have to share a snippet here:
National Book Award winner Katherine Erskine (Mockingbird) weaves a magic spell in this snugly constructed novel. Who else would give chapter headings clever math terms that chart Mike’s progress? While the premise of a young teenager being sent off to spend time with crazy relatives is not exactly original, her quirky characters virtually pop off the page, and the absolute value of the story ends up being much more than the sum of its parts.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Book Review: The Absolute Value of Mike (by Katherine Erskine) - Boston Children's Literature | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/children-s-literature-in-boston/book-review-the-absolute-value-of-mike-by-katherine-erskine-review#ixzz1VcKnuV3B
8/18/11 The Absolute Value of Mike in Eva Perry and SJCPL Mock Newberys.
Review of Mockingbird by parent and tweens.
8/17/11 The Absolute Value of Mike is this librarian’s pick and he really understands where Mike is coming from!
8/13/11 Thanks, Kathy, at BermudaOnion for hosting a giveaway of both Mockingbird and The Absolute Value of Mike!
You have until 8/22 to enter!
(Great meeting you in Greenville, Kathy!)
8/12/11 For some fun MIKE posters, click on “My Blog” above. Thanks, students at Sandusky Middle School!
8/9/11 “Erskine has put together a humorous coming-of-age story that will appeal to a broad base of readers.”
Review of The Absolute Value of Mike, Trapped in Adolescence Blog.
8/9/11 Thanks to The Garden of Books for this review of Mockingbird!
8/8/11 The Absolute Value of Mike review from a Virginia Library. :o)
8/3/11 Chance to win Mockingbird or The Absolute Value of Mike at Reading for Sanity blog!
7/31/11 The Absolute Value of Mike, at Second Childhood Reviews: “Family, Friendship, Identity.”
7/29/11 The Absolute Value of Mike recommended as a summer read by Lit for Kids -- “surprisingly funny” (in spite of mentioning math). :o)
7/29/11 Mockingbird recommended as summer reading for 6th - 9th graders.
7/28/11 The Absolute Value of Mike is last week’s pick at Portrait of a Bookstore!
NOTE: I’ll be at Martinsville, VA Library at 1 pm on Friday, July 29th!
7/27/11 My interview on Kristin Tubb’s blog (author of SELLING HOPE) -- thanks, Kristin!
7/27/11 Fun review of The Absolute Value of Mike from a fun blog: Bermuda Onion! And her name is Kathy, too. :o)
7/26/11 The Absolute Value of Mike is “hilarious and heartwarming,” according to
Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop!
7/25/11 I’m back from a great conference! So much news! Please see my blog. Also...
Here’s a fun quiz you can take about THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE and maybe win prizes for your library and yourself!
http://www.kaycassidy.com/wp-content/uploads/hunts/ErskineK_AVM.pdf
If your library isn’t signed up for the Great Scavenger Hunt, ask your librarian to go here:
http://www.kaycassidy.com/hunt/how-it-works/
7/15/11 Off to Highlights Writers’ Workshop at Chautauqua, NY!
7/12/11 Thanks, Nancee, for the MIKE review -- so glad you enjoyed it!
7/11/11 Nice summary of MIKE, and Mrs. Ashby says it’s charming. :o)
7/10/11 Are you free for tea on August 1st? Join me at Coffee Underground in Greenville, SC (sponsored by Fiction Addiction)!
7/9/11 Great MIKE review -- thanks, Ti!
7/8/11 Thanks for the review of MIKE, Reading for Sanity! Book giveaways coming...
7/7/11 See you at the library! (Central Library in Charlottesville, VA, that is, at 6:30 tonight.)
7/6/11 See “Talking Story” for giveaway of MIKE and other books -- thanks, Carol Baldwin and Joyce Hostetter!
7/5/11 MIKE is on the 2011 Summer Indie Next List!
7/4/11 Mockingbird is a SIBA Winner!
(Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance)
Thanks, SIBA, and all independent booksellers!
7/1/11 MIKE review in Chicago Tribune!
7/1/11 Check out Girls of Summer, a summer reading list especially for girls.
6/30/11 Mockingbird #5 in Scholastic Book Clubs for middle grade readers for 2010 - 2011 school year -- wow.
6/27/11 MIKE is an Amazon Best Book of the Month!
6/27/11 Such a nice review of Mockingbird -- thanks, YA Sweet Escape!
6/26/11 MIKE is a top 5 summer read, according to Books & Books, Westhampton, NY!
6/21/11 The adventure begins. :o)
6/15/11 I’ll be back on tour soon but I’m currently in an exotic location...check out the “Writing Prompt” tab for a clue (that’s me, behind the cannonball tree!).
6/14/11 MIKE review & interview on the Mixed-Up Files! Congrats to Jen Petro-Roy for winning the ARC--hope you enjoy it!
6/13/11 Thanks New Dominion, Over the Moon, and Hooray for Books for very fun signings!
6/9/11 Wow! Great MIKE review!
Thanks, Jama!
6/9/11 MIKE is out today! (“Dude, how did it get to be June 9th already?!”)
Events:
TODAY: New Dominion, Charlottesville, VA
TOMORROW: Over the Moon, Crozet, VA
Saturday: Hooray for Books, Alexandria,VA
6/8/11 Thanks, Zoe, teen reader & blogger for a great review of MIKE!
6/7/11 Mockingbird review from NY--nice!
6/6/11 Gary Schmidt’s NY Times Review of The Absolute Value of Mike.
Wow, an author I so admire. Thank you, Gary. Almost finished his Okay for Now and will be blogging soon . . . it’s amazing.
6/2/11 Signing: Saturday, 6/4 at SUNDIAL Books in Chincoteague, VA.
Hope to see you there!
6/2/11 Searching for a Good Read? Here’s a review of MIKE!
Thanks, Michelle!
6/1/11 “Watch for this gem of a book in June and put it at the top of your TBR pile!” MIKE review at A Year of Reading.
5/31/11 Another great MIKE review at Waking Brain Cells (another clever blog name!).
5/30/11 Here’s a great review of The Absolute Value of Mike at Prose & Kahn!
5/29/11 My interview after Mockingbird was awarded the Crystal Kite.
Thanks, SCBWI!
(Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.)
5/28/11 Read an interview with Mike!
He’ll give you an idea of what The Absolute Value of Mike is all about....
Thanks to Audrey at Literary Friendships!
5/27/11 Fun interview at On Beyond Words and Pictures AND chance to win a free signed copy of Mockingbird, flown to your door!
5/21/11 Gaithersburg Book Festival!
Speaking at 12:20 -- hope to see you there!
5/17/11 MIKE Review from Time for Kids:
10 out of 10!
5/10/11 Great trip to Indiana and the Blue Marble book store (home of The Great Green Room) in Ft. Thomas, KY, near Cincinnati! Thanks, all! More info to come but I’m off to DisneyWorld (actually, to the International Reading Association Conference in Orlando).
5/1/11 Love this review of MIKE from the fun (and thoughtful) blog, Not Acting My Age. Thanks, Paul!
4/25/11 Mockingbird is one of Bank Street’s Best Books of the Year, receiving “outstanding merit.” Thanks, Bank Street College!
4/25/11 Please go to my blog to see links to my Wisconsin trip -- it was such a treat!
4/24/11 Mockingbird is on the Kentucky state award list! Thanks, Blue Grass State!
4/24/11 Mockingbird review, “portrait of a hero.”
4/14/11 The Absolute Value of Mike review (I was in Guam and missed it!) -- thanks, Dave, at Just One More Page!
Note: You can meet Dave at the Blue Marble bookstore in Ft. Thomas, KY, where he has graciously invited me to sign on May 6th.
4/12/11 Mockingbird on “the quiet voice.”
Highly recommended for children, teens, and adults alike....
4/12/11 Hop on over to I am a Reader not a Writer to be part of the Giveaway Hop for Autism Awareness. While you’re there, scroll down to see the other bloggers who are participating. Thanks to all!
4/11/11 Thanks for this review, Reading for Sanity! Go ahead. Buy it, borrow it, or check it out. You will not be disappointed.
4/11/11 Rock the Drop on April 14th!
It’s that time again -- drop a book in some public place with a bookplate inside (click here) and pass on your love of reading. Thanks to Figment blog and Readergirlz!
I’ll post pictures on my blog!
4/6/11 ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2012 nomination list has begun ... and The Absolute Value of Mike is on it!
4/5/11 Interesting YouTube book trailer of Mockingbird!
4/4/11 Nerdy, Nerdy, Nerdy! What a great name for a blog! Many thanks to the Comma Queen for writing about the issue of bullying and saying such lovely things about Mockingbird.
4/4/11 Mockingbird is on Vermont’s state list, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award nominee list -- thanks, Vermont!
4/2/11 Wonderful review & so much more!
Great job of pulling info together from all sources (website, interviews) so if you want an encapsulated Kathryn Erskine, go here -- you can find out snapshot of me, visits, books, etc. It's sort of like a shopping service where someone does all the research for you. Thanks, Pam!
4/1/11 YA Novel Workshop online through the Writer’s Center starts MAY 1st with Beckie Weinheimer and I!
3/31/11 Wanna see my dog? :o) Check out Bobbie Pyron’s blog!
3/28/11 Fun feature about judging a book by its cover -- what do you think?
3/27/11 KidLit4Japan Auctions are raising money for Japanese survivors!
Auction #32 for my books & swag ends 3/29. Check out all the other auctions, too!
3/27/11 Scholastic Book Order buying tips!
3/26/11 My guest post on Challenging the Bookworm for Disabilities Awareness Month
3/24/11 Mockingbird is a Georgia Book Award Nominee for 2011-2012 with some of my favorites -- I love being on the same list as The Strange Case of Origami Yoda!
3/23/11 Thanks, Michelle, of My Writing Life for this review!
3/22/11 Mockingbird is a Virginia Readers’ Choice (VRC) book for 2011-2012! Thanks to the committee for selecting it! Not yet posted on VRC site but my friends at Bookworm Central have it on a link on their site. And I’ve heard from librarians. :o)
Interesting fact: You can buy Mockingbird on Amazon in paperback for $6.99 or in hardback for $8.46 . . . just $1.47 more. Hmm, I’d rather have the hardback for that price difference!
3/16/11 If you create, edit, or represent books for children or young adults and would like to contribute an item or service to an auction to benefit the victims of the Japanese earthquake, please click HERE.
If you’d like to donate books to the people of Christchurch, New Zealand, please click HERE.
3/6/11 So great to connect across the globe -- here’s a touching review of Mockingbird from the National Library of New Zealand.
3/5/11 Had a wonderful time Skyping with Ohio teachers today and the fun group at Penn State Libraries on Thursday!
3/4/11 Here’s a beautiful review of Mockingbird from a teacher at Cedar Heights Elementary in Iowa -- and I’m looking forward to Skyping with her school on March 9th!
3/4/11 An early review of The Absolute Value of Mike from a librarian at As the Page Turns. Thanks so much!
3/3/11 Mockingbird is a finalist for a SIBA Award -- thank you, Southern independent booksellers!
2/28/11 Mockingbird is on the 2011 Capitol Choices list, along with some fabulous fiction and nonfiction - check it out!
2/27/11 Thanks SCBWI! Mockingbird is the honor book for the Golden Kite award, which makes it a Silver Golden Kite! :o)
2/23/11 Scroll down on this page to find some fun reads, old and new.
2/22/11 Check out The Ultimate Teen Reading List for an extensive and excellent selection of young adult and adult novels teens have recommended and are enjoying.
2/21/11 Usborne will be releasing Mockingbird in the U.K. in January 2012. Yay!
2/8/11 So thrilled to be on the Chautauqua faculty! If you want a warm, supportive environment to learn more about writing for children, this is the place!
2/7/11 MOCKINGBIRD is now out in paperback, only $6.99!
2/3/11 I love it when reviews make me want to rush out and buy my own book. :o)
Thank you, Biblio’s Bloggins! (Great name, too!)
2/2/11 Love this review with rating system: swearing, mature content, and violence (none in MOCKINGBIRD). Also loved the review!
Seeing life through the very black and white view of Kaitlyn was so real!
Thank you, Melissa!
1/30/11 Thank you, Beth Kephart, for such a warm review of MOCKINGBIRD. Beth is the award winning author of books for both adults and teens. Click here for the stunning cover of her book due out in October, YOU ARE MY ONLY.
1/26/11 Join my On-line Class!
There’s still time to sign up for the class I’m teaching with fellow author Beckie Weinheimer (Converting Kate) through the Writer’s Center. We’d love to work with you!
1/25/11 Thanks for inviting me to participate in My Word Playground, Lynne Marie!
And here are some great reviews I missed when I was in Guam--thanks, all!
This one even has a video of Mockingbird!
WOW!! Thanks, Raving Reader!
Knitting with Pencils, Tracey Baptiste (author of ANGEL’S GRACE)
Common Sense Media gives Mockingbird highest rating (5 stars) for ages 10 and up
2011 Best Fiction for Young Adults
Audio book review, read by Angela Jayne Rogers (and very well done, too!)
1/24/11 Love this MOCKINGBIRD review by Tahleen, library science major. Thanks!
(I also love how she says she’s a huge dork: me, too, Tahleen!)
1/22/11 Thanks to all the students at the following schools on Guam, AND those who came to my teen writing workshop today, for your hard work and great questions!
Middle Schools:
Agueda Johnston
Benavente
Oceanview
FB Leon Guerrero
High Schools:
George Washington
John F. Kennedy
Southern
Notre Dame
Okkodo
Simon Sanchez
Thanks for your warm smiles, laughter, applause, photos, welcome signs, and for being you! Remember to stay SASSY! :o)
1/21/11 PLEASE see my BLOG for interesting info about my trip to Guam, where America’s day begins!
And check out some new photos on the Writing Prompt page. Happy writing!
1/13/11 Now I’m off to GUAM!
1/12/11 Mockingbird selected for the
2011 “Best Fiction for Young Adults list!”
Thank you, YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association)!
1/12/11 Mockingbird made the list of 2011 Notable Children’s Books selected by the American Library Association (ALA)! Check it out -- so many good books on this list! Thanks, ALA!
1/11/11 Mockingbird is the #3 seller in Scholastic Book Clubs, sandwiched between Cynthia Lord’s Rules, Gennifer Choldenko’s Al Capone Shines My Shoes, and The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
1/11/11 Thanks to Susan for putting Mockingbird on her fav books list! If you’re up in Martha’s Vineyard, please stop by the Bunch of Grapes Bookstore!
1/10/11 Congratulations to all the ALA award winners -- see complete list here! Special congrats to Rita Williams-Garcia for the Scott O’Dell Award, the Coretta Scott King Award AND a Newbery Honor, in addition to being a National Book Award finalist . . . if you haven’t read ONE CRAZY SUMMER yet, well, that’s just crazy! :o)
1/6/11 Thanks, Scholastic Book Clubs for choosing Mockingbird in your mock Newbery!
1/4/11 Mockingbird nominated for 2011 ALA’s Notable Children’s Books. Thanks, all you librarians out there!
1/1/11 Review by Susan Uhlig on her blog
“Speculation about the 2011 Newbery awards started last fall as people discussed books they'd like to see considered...”
Thanks for a lovely start to the new year!
12/31/10 Some fun end of 2010 lists:
--Booklists: Gift Books for 2010 from BellaonBooks
--Teen Writers Bloc 9 Best Books of 2010
--and my favorite, our local paper’s “best of” list: Highest profile writer: Kathy Erskine takes the National Book Award for young adults fiction for her book, Mockingbird.
Can I just point out that John Grisham lives in the same town so that means I’m higher profile than Johnny? Wow! ;o)
12/28/10 Mock Newbery winners from a library and a middle school -- wow!
12/27/10 Review of older teen Asperger book (Harmonic Feedback) and Mockingbird at Kim Baccellia’s (author of Crossed Out) blog. Thanks, Kim!
12/24/10 I was thrilled to read this in a post by Patricia Riley Giff (LILY’S CROSSING, PICTURES OF HOLLIS WOODS, etc.):
She listed MOCKINGBIRD as one of the ”books I wish I had written.” Wow, that made my Christmas!
12/18/10 Lovely MOCKINGBIRD review by blogger and fellow writer, Kim Tomsic of Bookshelf Detective. Thanks, Kim!
12/14/10 MOCKINGBIRD is a Teens Read Too Gold Star Award Winner! Thank you to a terrific site!
12/13/10 If you liked Salinger’s, THE CATCHER IN THE RYE, Chris Crutcher’s DEADLINE, or Libba Bray’s GOING BOVINE, check out CATCHER, CAUGHT by Sarah Collins Honenberger--see my blog interview.
12/12/10 My interview on Galleycat!
12/8/10 Wow. A truly moving review of MOCKINGBIRD that explains it beautifully.
Thank you, Kidliterate!
12/7/10 Interested in my research on Asperger’s? Or interested in the Autism Spectrum in general? Click “MOCKINGBIRD Research” in the menu above to go to a page of resources. Enjoy!
12/6/10 Reviews of National Book Award Finalists in 4:00 Book Hook Newsletter! Click on the December 2010/January 2011 issue at author Anne Marie Pace’s website.
12/4/10 Here are some lovely reviews of MOCKINGBIRD:
Mockingbird will be nutritious reading....
Beaverton City Library Kid’s Blog
11/29/10 Check out “Talking Story,” a newsletter by authors Joyce Hostetter and Carol Baldwin -- thanks for featuring me in your November “Thanksgiving” issue!
11/18/10 MOCKINGBIRD won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.
Thank you, National Book Foundation!!
11/12/10 Book Give Away on “I am a Reader not a Writer” blog -- MOCKINGBIRD, and an advance review copy of my next book, THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE.
11/11/10 Respect and peace to all veterans and their families.
11/11/10 An interview in my local paper.
11/10/10 Interview at National Book Foundation site. Thanks, Eisa!
11/9/10 Mary Quattlebaum Interview on my blog! Come meet this talented and successful author!
11/3/10 Signing at Books of Wonder, NYC, on Nov. 16th, 6 - 8 pm, along with other National Book Award Finalists -- cool!
11/1/10 This post choked me up -- she’s putting a picture of a mockingbird on her door to remind her to always understand people. Wow. Thank you, Cathy. What a beautiful thing to do.
10/29/10 I love librarians. Thanks, Alicia, LibrariYAn!
10/27/10 MOCKINGBIRD review in haiku!
10/24/10 MOCKINGBIRD is a CAPITOL CHOICES Book List nominee. Capitol Choices includes librarians, teachers, booksellers, children's literature specialists, and magazine editors who work in cities, in suburbs, and in rural areas in and around Washington, D.C.
10/22/10 ARC my new book (6/9/2011)
THE ABSOLUTE VALUE OF MIKE is out. Let me know if you’d like a review copy.
10/16/10 Former Newbery Judge picks this year’s favorites, including MOCKINGBIRD. Thanks, Amanda Stuckmeyer!
10/13/10 MOCKINGBIRD is a NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST! Wow! Many thanks to the National Book Foundation and the National Book Award judges.
10/9/10 NEW COVER FOR PAPERBACK VERSION OF MOCKINGBIRD (April 2011)
(Look on the left side of page.)
10/6/10 “MOCKINGBIRD is a heart-warming story of loss and recovery....This book is truly a loving work of art.” Thank you, Reading Junkie!
10/4/10 What? Another Book Giveaway?
10-4! That’s right! Hop over to my blog for a chance to win Anne Marie Pace’s picture book, NEVER EVER TALK TO STRANGERS!
10/1/10 Banned Book Night at Over the Moon in Crozet, VA -- Come on down!
9/27/10 Enter by Halloween to win Alison Hart’s WHIRLWIND! See my blog.
And check out her website!
9/26/10 Check out my blog post on Alison Hart’s WHIRLWIND!
9/25/10 Thanks for this beautiful review from a librarian in Andover, MA!
9/24/10 Had a wonderful time at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC! Thanks, Carol, and thanks to all who came--what a great turnout! If you have any questions, feel free to email me (link on the left).
Banned Book Week 9/25 - 10/2/2010
9/21/10 Hope to see you tonight at Quail Ridge Books! About to hit the road and listen to LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY on CD
9/14/10 I’ll be at Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh, NC a week from today: Tues., Sept. 21 @ 7 pm!
8/30/10 What a lovely review. :o)
Note: Remember to click “My Blog” above to see what I’m reading, where I’m going, etc.
8/27/10 Tomorrow! Signing at Over the Moon in Crozet, VA, 7 pm. Hope to see you!
8/26/10 A Year of Reading reviews from “Two Teachers who Read. A lot.” :o)
8/25/10 Thanks, Joan Broerman, for this lovely review! Check out Joan’s “BOOK LOG” blog of kids’ books!
8/17/10 Signing at Square Books in Oxford, MS, 4:30 today!
8/16/10 Signing at Lemuria in Jackson, MS @ 5 pm -- come on down!
8/15/10 Check out the Great Scavenger Hunt -- look up MOCKINGBIRD and your other favorite books, tell your librarian, answer the quiz questions, and have a chance at winning prizes!
8/14/10 Please check my blog for tour updates -- tomorrow I’ll post about my amazing visit to Monroeville!
8/11/10 Had the most wonderful time with the Bookworm Bunch last night! Thanks so much for having me, ladies -- Homewood is a great place (and we have the T-shirts to prove it!).
8/10/10 Signing at Little Professor, Homewood, AL, Tues., 8/10, 4 - 6 pm.
8/9/10 From Birmingham, AL:
Going to see the Vulcan Statue tonite
8/7/10 From Atlanta, GA: (I think the weather is cooler here than in Virginia.) Book signing at Little Shop of Stories tomorrow (8/8), 3 pm!
Also: Thanks to Booklady for a super review of MOCKINGBIRD!
And to the Charlotte Observer for including MOCKINGBIRD in a list of important back to school supplies!
8/5/10 MOCKINGBIRD TOUR BEGINS
Please check MY BLOG or Facebook or Twitter to track my road trip! Ten bookstores, many schools, in 2 weeks. Woo hoo!
8/3/10 Review by Emily at Lemuria: “[T]his book was one of the most poignant middle grade novels I have read in a while and I think that people of every age could benefit from a reading of Mockingbird.
Thanks, Emily!
8/1/10 See more of the tour!
7/31/10 Thanks for this lovely review from The Literary Wife: “I would definitely recommend this book to child and adult alike, it was so well written and such an amazing story.”
7/30/10 Talkin’ about the passion...
MOCKINGBIRD Tour to Monroeville, AL
7/29/10 Review from the Reading Nook, Life of a Teen Librarian: “This book should be a must read for any middle school or high school student.”
7/28/10 Check out my blog for tour info!
7/28/10 MOCKINGBIRD review (from a teacher!) -- thanks, Jessica!
It's a heavy subject (actually, two heavy subjects) for a children's book, but it is written so well and is so compelling that I think any age group would get something out of this story.
7/27/10 Local Signing: Over the Moon
Crozet, VA - Sat., Aug. 28, @ 7 pm!
7/27/10 Please see my blog for TOUR details!
MOCKINGBIRD TOUR: August 7 - 20!
7/26/10 Thanks, Tina, for this lovely review: A beautiful, heartwarming story of pain, grief and ultimately healing........recommended to all readers!!
7/23/10 Win MOCKINGBIRD & goodies at McKenzie’s blog, The Book Owl, and read her interview! Thanks, McKenzie!
7/23/10 MOCKINGBIRD TOUR begins in 2 weeks!! See Events page for details.
7/21/10 Thanks Sullivan County, NY libraries for including MOCKINGBIRD in your mock Newbery Awards!
7/9/10 2010 marks the 75th anniversary of Penguin Books!
Hooray for Penguin!
Hooray for Books!
7/8/10 We love libraries! Do what you can to support them. Donate. Volunteer. Newburyport, MA library review:
“This book made me smile, laugh, and cry. I loved sharing every single minute of Caitlyn's incredible journey. And to our adult readers: forget that it is cataloged as a children's book and put it on the top of your list.”
7/1/10 The Book Owl Review
That's what stuck with me the most: we should give other people chances before we judge them. I recommend picking this up so that you can revisit what it really means to be kind and understanding of others, even in hard times.
6/30/10 LOVE this review from Abby the Librarian -- thank you, Abby!
“Caitlin's story is one that will definitely stick with me. I'm thinking kids will dig it, especially kids who dig books like Lauren Tarshis's Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of a Tree or Kate DiCamillo's Because of Winn Dixie. You'll also want to make sure you have a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird (and the movie) around because they're mentioned in the book and would make a great pairing.”
6/28/10 Review from Not Acting My Age
“This is, by far, the best book I've read in 2010 so far and it is hardly an outlier ... Erskine is also the author of Quaking...”
Thanks, Paul!
6/26/10 ALA Signing was such fun -- thanks to all those who stopped by, especially you, Laura! :o)
6/24/10 - Bibliochic’s review of MOCKINGBIRD
“The book is beautifully written, moving, and packed with images that leave a lasting impression.”
6/23/10 - Small World Reads review
“As the reader, you are immediately there in Caitlin's world from the first sentence.” :o)
6/21/10 Happy 1st Day of Summer!
Review by Carol at Carol’s Corner, who took a break from packing -- thank you!
“Maybe the best novel I’ve read this year.”
6/19/10 Carrie’s YA Bookshelf review
“I can’t think of a book that captures the true spirit of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD more than Kathryn Erskine’s MOCKINGBIRD.”
Wow. Thank you, Carrie. That’s the highest praise I can think of.
6/18/10 Everyday Reading review
“Everything about this book works.”
6/17/10 Video Review of MOCKINGBIRD by a young reader - this is so cool!
6/15/10 Audrey Vernick interview on my blog: IS YOUR BUFFALO READY FOR KINDERGARTEN?
6/13/10 QUAKING was a May pick by ALAN, the Assembly on Literature for Adolescents! (Scroll down half a dozen reviews to find the one for QUAKING).
6/11/10 5 copies of MOCKINGBIRD in Auckland, New Zealand library system and they’re all checked out! Woo hoo!
NOTE: I’ll be signing at ALA in DC on Saturday, June 26th @ 4:30 pm. Please stop by the Penguin Booth!
6/9/10 Interview with Jacqueline Houtman on my blog.
6/6/10 BookHook Newsletter
Interested in a short newsletter for people who share books with kids? It has a variety of book reviews and kid friendly activities. For a free subscription, email thebookhook (at) gmail (dot) com.
6/2/10 Young Critics’ Club Favorites!
Thanks for picking MOCKINGBIRD, readers at Perrot Memorial Library, Old Greenwich, CT!
5/27/10 MOCKINGBIRD, VOYA: Lovely review & this recommendation:
A good choice for supplementary reading in a high school psychology class, Mockingbird will also appeal to book groups for middle and high schoolers; siblings and friends of young people with Asperger‘s and other developmental disorders; and middle school students who enjoy thoughtful characters and a good story.
5/19/10 MOCKINGBIRD is out as an audio book. You can even hear a sample of Caitlin’s voice!
INTRODUCING ...
