Dropped Candy - Edition 3, News, Reviews, and Appearances

Greetings from this soon-to-be-published author, just five weeks out . . . EEK! 😱

No, for real. I’m grateful to be working with my team at Candlewick Press to prepare for the launch of Confessions of a Candy Snatcher )CoaCS. We’ve got a few fun engagements planned, including blog posts, a podcast episode, and in-person appearances in the fall. I’m also delighted and honored for the novel to have received several additional positive reviews.

For those of you who haven’t yet pre-ordered CoaCS, good news! One of my favorite local bookshops, Porter Square Books, is accepting online pre-orders that I will personally sign before they’re shipped.

Here’s the link to order: https://www.portersquarebooks.com/book/9781536213683

Also, available to purchase at your favorite local bookshop, indiebound, b&n, or amazon.

News

Friends and family have been asking: but when is your book launch party? Thank you for your interest and support! We have a number of events planned, some details forthcoming, and more on the way.

Upcoming Appearances

• Tuesday, August 15th, time to-be-determined (TBD): Book “Birthday” Party on Zoom

• Saturday, September 30th OR Sunday, October 1st, day and time TBD: Zine workshop at MICE, Boston, MA

• Tuesday, October 17th, time TBD: Event with Shiver by the Sea author Erin Dionne at The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, Acton, MA

• Wednesday, October 25th, 7 PM: Official launch at Porter Square Books, Cambridge, MA

I’ll be adding to this list as events get scheduled.

What Are Folks Sayin’? Part 2

School Library Journal

A profoundly relatable debut, this middle grade novel is told from the perspective of Jonas, a Black seventh grader. He begins to receive anonymous letters in his locker and immediately knows that someone saw what happened on Halloween, when what started as a fairly innocent candy-grabbing spree with his friends ended with Jonas face-to-face with a victim who fought back. Things get harder when his best friend C. asks him to write about “the worst thing he ever did” for her zine, as he confronts his role in the events of that night. Questions about who Jonas is, who his friends are and what their influence on him is, physical boundaries and consent, and exploring responsibility for his actions are at the core of this book. The tone is heartbreakingly innocent, brilliantly so, translating the confusion of middle school and the worry of growing up into the acceptance of all manner of hard truths. ­Ultimately, Jonas’s character is likable and smart, a kid trying to balance his social world with his parents’ messy separation, which colors how he interacts with the world. Readers will be completely immersed in this unique, multilayered tale. VERDICT A definite purchase for a middle school library, this debut novel with a delightfully diverse cast provides a truthful account of peer pressure, divorce, and consent. (Starred review)

–Rachel Joiner

Confessions of a Candy Snatcher | School Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

An ill-fated Halloween candy-snatching incident leads a Black seventh grader to craft a story about what really happened.

Jonas has been grabbing candy from trick-or-treaters with friends Mikey, Darius, and Aaron since he was in sixth grade. He doesn’t see any harm in it and was having fun until the target became Gideon Rao, his classmate who arrived in fifth grade from Texas and is cued Indian American. Afterward, Jonas starts finding notes in his locker—“I KNOW IT WAS YOU” and “WATCH YOUR BACK”—and he starts listing classmates who might be responsible for writing them. He’s worried about the possible consequences if his involvement is discovered even though his friends promised to keep it all a secret. Concepción, Jonas’ Chilean home-schooled friend who goes by C., asks Jonas to write about the worst thing he ever did for her zine, which forces him to think more deeply about the events. His self-reflection is derailed when the notes increase in visibility, however. Soon Jonas is reluctantly involved in mediation with people he thought he knew. The book shows how Jonas’ different friendships have shaped him; he is a different person with C. than he is with his boys, something that allows readers to travel down the journey of introspection alongside Jonas. The striking black-and-white illustrations in a variety of styles offer insights into the characters’ emotions in compelling ways.

A creative debut about harnessing the courage to view yourself and your friendships clearly. (Fiction. 10-14)

CONFESSIONS OF A CANDY SNATCHER | Kirkus Reviews

An ill-fated Halloween candy-snatching incident leads a Black seventh grader to craft a story about what really happened.

Spotlight on Friend’s New Releases

My dear friend, writing group partner, and co-founder of Table for Seven Press indie publishing collective, Erin Dionne has a series launching on August 1st. 

Shiver by the Sea is: “a magical, spooky new chapter book series about friendship, community restoration and involvement, and helping your neighbors . . . even if some of them may be monsters.”

Lucky readers (Ages 7 to 9, Grades 2 to 4) can obtain the first two books in the series at once!

Preorder at your favorite local bookshop or find them online at bookshop.org or other retailers.

Learn more about Erin here: https://www.erindionne.com/new-books

Check out our indie publishing collective: https://www.tablefor7press.com/

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This past June I attended a book launch and celebratory closing party for a store located near my job, (the Maria L. Baldwin Community Center), in Cambridge, MA. Joie de Vivre was more than a gift shop; it was a thriving culture –filled with whimsy, cleverness, and awe. Now there’s a new book available about the recently closed 😢 shop: The Book of Joie, or A Thousand Singing Hamsters; A Micro-Business Memoir. 

When the shop was open, owner Linda Given kindly donated some of her unsold merchandise to the community center, where we sold it to children (for low-low prices!) alongside various holiday-themed tschotskes and handmade clay items as part of the annual Kids Only! Holiday Sale. My colleagues and I noted that, of the items purchased, Joie merchandise was the most popular.

Find the book at Porter Square Books, in-person, or online at your fav retailer. 

Read about Joie de Vire here: https://joiedevivre.net/

Bonus Question Time!

Which Tired Dog Are You? 🐩 🦮 🐕‍🦺 🌭 🐕

P.s. Don't forget to pre-order CoaCS!