I’m honored that Yale Alumni Magazine features my essay about reading and writing…
SPEED OF LIFE IN PAPERBACK!!
Speed of Life is coming out in paperback in August. I'm so proud of this book and I've loved getting so many great emails from readers -- and librarians. If you want to preorder, please do!
SPEED is a Chicago Public Library Best of the Best!!
Speed of Life is in amazing company!! The Hate U Give, Little Fires Everywhere, Manhattan Beach, Far From the Tree, Vincent and Theo... Yes! I'm honored! And grateful!
Book Festivals and Audiobook!
This Saturday: Warwick. Next Saturday: Chappaqua. I love meeting readers -- and I love meeting listeners. I'm so pleased that Speed of Life is now an audiobook. Kristin Condon reads it aloud and did a great job with Sofia's Castilian accent. She also got *me* tearing up at the sad parts. Here's to Hispanic Heritage Month! And here's to you!
Please vote! It's for libraries!
If you read this before 8/10, please vote (takes two seconds) so that SPEED OF LIFE can be free to libraries all over the world. Thank you! If 8/10 is long ago, please know that I'm still always grateful to you if you can talk up my books, give 'em five star reviews, mention 'em in real life and social media, etc. It's funny (?) how it takes forever to write a book and find a publisher, but then you have to work to get the word out too. Words, words, words! Please do vote....
New York Times Book Review!!
Letter to the Editor of The New YorkTimes
Is this my 45th? My 46th? One of these days, I'm going to count. But I do like sounding off in the paper of record. May 10 2017.
They Say: "Write What You Know"
I was raised in Armonk and yes, that's why Armonk is a setting in my new novel. Here's more about the Westchester connection. Fun, right?
Five Things I've Learned From Being an Advice Columnist
Here's my guest post today from School Library Journal. It took me a long time to write, but I bet you can skim it in mere minutes. I love libraries and hate that people talk about cutting their budgets. Every school and community should have a wonderful library! And smart kind librarians!
Speed of Life launches in April
Woohoo!! Speed of Life has some pre-pub buzz going! Insert bumble bee emojis here! It received starred reviews in Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal, and yes, I'm absolutely thrilled.
If you live near the Corner Bookstore at 93rd and Madison in NYC, please join me on April 3 at 6 pm for a reading and Q&A. All welcome.
If you live elsewhere and are a teacher in an elementary or middle school, invite me to Skype your class. I just might say, "Sure!" And please preorder the book from Amazon or your favorite indie. Thank you!
Happy Spring!
Carol
YAY! WOW! AVA!
Hello!
Ava just won the Young Reader Award in Nevada, and I'm proud too that the New York Times called AVA AND PIP "a love letter to language," and said "Weston perfectly captures the complexities of sisterhood."
Subjects I cover, as you may know, include: Shyness, Sibling Rivalry, Cats, Best Friends, First Crush, Body Awareness... but always with a light touch. (Books should be fun!)
If you're a teacher or librarian, 1) I love you. 2) I like visiting schools in person or by Skype.
Please look for SPEED OF LIFE on April 4, 2017.
xo
Carol
Newsday article -- Join me Long Island 4/28
If you live near Rockville Center, join me at Turn of the Screw on Thursday at 4.
And check out the article in today's Newsday: nwsdy.li/1NFehZD YAY!
Fifty Middle Grade Heroines
Book Riot did a round-up of 50 literary heroines for middle grade readers and I'm mighty honored that Miss Ava Wren made the cut! Here's the list. Woohoo! Happy Reading! And here's to author Karina Glaser, a grown-up who loves kids' books!
Almost Spring! (And KidLitTV!)
Hi All! Ava and Taco Cat is about to come out in paperback, and I've had fun visiting and Skyping with schools -- as well as working on a new book that is still under wraps. Today KidLitTV just put up a youtube interview with me. Fun, right? Enjoy these longer days...
Happy Valentine's Day!
I hope you have a wonderful day! Did you watch SNL last night? Very fun that Ava and Pip was the book that a girl on set was reading! (2.45 into "The Day Beyoncé Turned White.") And in today's New York Times, I have a Letter. It's been fun doing so many signings for the new book too. Busy times. I just wish it weren't so darn cold outside. Brrrrrrrr!
XOX (get it?)
Ava XOX comes out tomorrow!!
I'm getting ready for this big week. If you are in NYC, come to Barnes & Noble this Wednesday at seven. I'd love to meet you! Tomorrow, I'll look over my power point, practice reading a few pages aloud, and I might get my nails done. Today I figured out which dress to wear. All part of Being a Writer. Oh. Wait. Is this TMI? And do male writers think like this? And is anyone reading these words?
Wow! Holidays!
Okay, so clearly I'm no good at regular blogging. Please know that I wish you a wonderful holiday and hope you find time to read for pleasure. Remember too that sharing presence (note spelling!) is the best gift of all. This week, I enjoyed speaking at a school in Harlem, and last month, I went to the Twin Cities to meet teachers at the National Council of Teachers of English. (I'm still pinching myself that AVA AND PIP is a Notable of the Children's Literature Assembly.) Oh, and guess what Book Riot's Karina Glaser said yesterday about AVA AND PIP? "This book will make you say W-O-W!" and "This delightful series is filled with wordplay." (Y-A-Y!)
Dividing Mom's Ashes
The Chicago Tribune just published this essay about dividing my mother's ashes. Bittersweet, though some say it's funny too. Maybe essays should always have heart and humor.
Old Mill Road School...
Tomorrow I'm taking a train to Merrick and I'm looking forward to speaking to lots of kids, grades three to six. Supposed to be another beautiful day! Today I worked hard on the very very last tweaks of AVA XOX. It comes out on Feb 2, so it's my lasssst chance to do revisions. Psssst, here's a secret: I can keep revising until the cows come home!
KidLitCom, Here I Come!
Writers spend a lot of time all by their lonesomes, so I'm really looking forward to going to Baltimore this weekend to meet people who blog about children's and young adult literature. I love hanging out with readers, writers, and book people. I'll be getting on the train Friday morning, a manuscript of SPEED OF LIFE in hand… and on Friday afternoon, from three to five, please come say hi at the lobby of the Hyatt Place Hotel. Lots of other authors too!!