New ARCs

Advance reviewer copies have arrived from Simon & Schuster (Famous, pub date Jan. 2011) and Egmont (Blood on My Hands, pub date Sept. 2010).

If I Grow Up nominated for North Carolina YA book award

If I Grow Up has been chosen as one of the titles nominated for the North Carolina School Library Media AssociationYoung Adult book Award for 2011. The book will be read by students across the state who will then participate in the selection of the "Best Book" by voting on their favorite title.

Wish U Were Dead is now available in the German edition

Now available in German-speaking countries. I wonder if the cover means Morton Rhue is writing as Todd Strasser.

Wish You Were Dead Named to VOYA 2010 Summer Reading List

The announcement is in the June issue. Also in the issue is an article about evil, which they asked me to write. It brought back memories of the summer of 1975 and a ferocious mechanical shark named Bruce.

School Visits Update

"Your visit in March was wonderful. Our students were so engaged and are still talking about you and your books. The teachers who attended your writing workshop loved your approach and decided to use some of your techniques in their classes. As usual, you were able to connect with our students and captivate their attention with your humor and inspiration. Our students felt very comfortable with you and even our reluctant readers continue to come to the library seeking your books. We thank you again for a very special day that was both informative and fun." (March, 2010) Rosemarie Scutero, Literacy Resource Specialist, Louis M. Klein Middle School, Harrison, NY (914) 630-3059, scuteror@harrisoncsd.org

Awards for If I Grow Up and Boot Camp

In the process of updating my web page I discovered a couple of awards that I neglected to post. In January of this year If I Grow Up was selected for Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2010, a cooperative project of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and the Children's Book Council.

In March Boot Camp was placed on the final reading list for the 2011 Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award.

If I Grow Up selected for Kentucky Bluegrass Master List

Via their schools and public libraries, students in Kentucky will read nominated titles and select a Kentucky Bluegrass Award winner. Last year more than 30,000 students in the state participated.

The master list states inaccurately that the book was published by Little, Brown. It was actually published by Simon & Schuster.