Happy New Year!

It’s an exciting time of year as we flip over the calendar and find a whole year’s worth of new MG titles scheduled for release. It’s especially thrilling for a debut author whose first book is coming out, and you can find many groups that form to support each other through the year. Class of 2K20 is one such group; it’s comprised of 20 debut authors (10 middle grade and 10 young adult) who have books coming out in 2020. You can learn more about all of the authors and their books here: https://classof2k20books.com/

Today, we’re sharing the first 6 books from the middle grade Class of 2K20 authors. Many of these titles are currently being reviewed and discussed on social media. Be sure to add these dates to your calendars and pre-order now!

Secret or Truth?
By Risa Nyman

Three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth. – Buddha

So, if the truth cannot stay hidden, what happens to all the secrets we keep. Everyone has a secret, either their own or one they promised to keep for someone else. When we’re pressed for the truth, it’s a dilemma. Do we tell or not? What are the stakes? The choice isn’t always easy or simple, and not for the faint-hearted.

The decision to keep a family secret is at the heart of my debut middle grade novel, SWALLOWED BY A SECRET, publication date January 21, 2020, from Immortal Works Press.

When twelve-year-old Rocky learns that his mom has told him a bogus story about how his dad really died, he is gut-punched. Now, in addition to his grief, he must deal with the loss of trust in his one remaining parent. Rocky’s mom compounds his misery when she puts the For-Sale sign on the front lawn right after the funeral, afraid that if they stay in town, someone will blurt out the truth before Rocky is ready.

While I wrote this story, a visual got stuck in my head of a fork in a road. One way beckoned me to the truth and the other to the vault where secrets are locked away.

Which way should you go?

Most of us remember from our childhood being taught that the truth is sacrosanct, and yet young kids often choose to lie to stay out of trouble. Recently, I watched a funny Facebook video of a cousin pressing her four-year-old daughter about the origins of some blue marker on the white counter, only to be told repeatedly by the little girl that “the dog did it.” That was her story, and she was sticking to it. Perhaps this sweet, adorable child is a natural-born fibber or a natural-born secret keeper.

By the time we reach adulthood, we have discovered that the truth is not all it’s cracked up to be. There are times when the emotional toll of honesty is too great and doesn’t serve a higher purpose. Should you tell Aunt Gertrude she got fat? Does your friend have to know that the boy she likes doesn’t like her? Should you tell your child about a parent’s illness that might send him reeling from the shock?

This was the burden Rocky’s mom faced. She knew that once she told the truth, there was no going back. You cannot re-secret a secret. But the not knowing consumed Rocky and embolden him to embark on a journey of risks, eavesdropping and snooping to discover the truth, forcing him to re-think who was the father he thought he knew.

Along the way, he found out what most of us know: family secrets are epidemic and no one is immune.

Born in Boston with the accent to prove it, Risa lived within ten miles of the city for decades until a recent move to the neighboring Ocean State.

For many years, Risa worked in a nonpartisan, not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting active participation in our democracy with a special focus on voting and elections.

Then a strange event that involved three pennies led her to take a deep dive into creative writing, which is now a priority and passion – unless grandchildren are nearby.

At other times, you might find Risa reading, exercising or doing therapeutic ironing.

We are excited to introduce you to debut author Cheryl Schuermann, whose book A BOY CALLED PREACHER, comes out on April 18th. You will find her cover reveal at the end of her post.

Thank you, MG Book Village, for the opportunity to introduce my upcoming middle grade novel, A BOY CALLED PREACHER! Here is a peek into my journey as a writer and how this story came to be.

As a child, I asked a million questions. I wanted to learn everything possible about my parents’ childhoods and the major historical events during those decades. I dreamed of traveling back in time and read historical fiction voraciously, two to three novels per week.

I relished my mother’s stories of her extraordinary childhood north of the Arctic Circle. Her parents were teachers for the Territory of Alaska and her childhood was happy, secure, and fulfilling, despite the isolation and bitter cold temperatures.

Her life was truly Little House on the Tundra. How could I not write about it? In 2007, I began to focus on the craft of writing. My mother’s story became my first book, a sort of love letter to her family.

When the Water Runs: Growing Up With Alaska (2008, 2019) is a work of creative non-fiction. I wrote in my mother’s voice, as if she were sitting in your living room, telling her stories over a cup of hot tea. Though not a middle grade novel, the opportunity to write one would soon come.

My father grew up in central Kansas on a 320-acre wheat farm, far from the Eskimo village in the wild, untamed North Country. After his father abandoned the family on the farm, life became much more difficult and challenging. At the age of eight, my dad dug in and worked to help keep the wheat crops going, feeling the weight of responsibility for his mother and younger brother. He went to school, hurried home, and climbed on the tractor.

In 2009, I began writing the story of a twelve-year-old boy who finds himself managing a Kansas farm. A Boy Called Preacher is fiction. The emotions and the frustrations in the story are, unfortunately, true.

Once or twice, I found a good time to offer my dad a cup of coffee and ask a few questions. Some of his responses developed into scenes in my novel. (Yes, he really did shoot jackrabbits for the War Effort in the early 1940s.) He also mentioned a best friend who always had time to fish and always had money for the soda fountain. My dad typically did not have either.

After completing a few chapters, I asked my dad if he would like to read them. One of the sweetest memories I have is standing in my kitchen listening to him chuckle from the living room as he read. When he finished reading, I asked him what he thought. He just said, “Good job, Sis.”

In my draft, I had nicknamed the main character Preacher and named his friend Sam.

What was your best friend’s name, Dad?

He grinned. Earl Floyd.

Earl Floyd.

Yep, Earl Floyd. Both names together.

Thankfully, Word has a feature called Find/Replace. I quickly replaced every Sam with Earl Floyd.

In the Fall of 2010, I submitted the completed manuscript to several agents. One expressed interest but asked me to revise the last few chapters and submit again.

I was on track to re-submit at the end of February 2011. All writing came to a halt, however, when my dad suddenly passed away the first week of February. At the time, my mother was experiencing dementia and the next five years revolved around her care. Somehow in 2015, I managed to write a biography for children for the Oklahoma Hall of Fame, Jordan Tang: Think…Create…Discover.

In February of 2019, nearly three years after my mother’s passing, I opened the file titled Preacher and again immersed myself in the story of Johnny “Preache Wilcox, his dog Deke, and his best friend Earl Floyd. I revisited Preacher’s encounters with Eldon Dunn (meanest tractor mechanic in Kansas), his persistence at solving a water crisis threatening the family farm, and his relationship with a stranger who brings clues about his father’s past.

Through the years, I have grown to love Preacher and Earl Floyd, their personalities, the way they interact with one another, and the way Preacher tries to make Earl Floyd understand. Earl Floyd just doesn’t get it–not in a mean way, just in an Earl Floyd way. Though ignorant of the depth of Preacher’s pain, Earl Floyd is a faithful friend. And Preacher grows up before our eyes.

Having taught reading to all grades K-12, I can honestly say my favorite students to teach were the middle grade readers. I was especially drawn to reluctant boy readers in middle grades. Maybe because I raised four of them in my home. Oh, mine could read just fine. But they did not choose to read. What?? Why would
I want to read? They would much rather be outside seining the pond for crawdads than curled up on the couch with a good book. Finding a book that would turn magic in their hands and draw them into a story was not always easy.

Will a middle grade reader start reading A Boy Called Preacher and not want to put it down? Will students relate to the characters, the challenges, and the emotions in this story? Will they ask, Is there another one?

Then, we have readers.

This is why I write middle grade.

And, yes! A second Preacher book is coming.

Cheryl Schuermann loved her many years in the classroom as a special educator and reading specialist. Always a literacy advocate, she spent sixteen more years consulting with educators across the United States. Her desire is for students everywhere to be proficient readers who can hardly wait to open a new book. Cheryl and her illustrator husband, Stan, live in Oklahoma where they enjoy being close to their family, including thirteen grandchildren.

A Boy Called Preacher is scheduled for release February 29, 2020 by INtense Publications. This is Cheryl’s debut MG novel and Stan Schuermann’s debut as a children’s book illustrator. Their debut picture book, Gwyneth Came to Dance, is scheduled for release Fall 2020.

You can find Cheryl on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Website: http://cherylschuermann.com

Hi there, Ali! Thanks so much for stopping by the MG Book Village to talk about your upcoming chapter book series and to share one of the four book’s covers.

Hi! Thanks so much for having me. I’m honored and excited to chat with the MG Book Village community.

Let’s get right to it. The four books in the Sylvie series are coming out all at once, but together, they constitute your debut. Can you tell us about your journey to the printed page?

I started writing about five years ago. Growing up in New York City I spent a lot of time volunteering and attending rallies with my family, from a very young age. When I had children of my own, I looked for books reflecting those experiences and values. I found so many beautiful stories centered on themes of kindness and helping others, which was amazing. That said, most tended to be set within the context of one’s family, school, or friends. I did not find as many books showing the characters in a larger context, or specifically engaged in service activities reaching through their communities and beyond. So I was inspired to try to create some myself.

I discovered a welcoming and active kid lit community on twitter. I joined wonderful groups online (including MG Book Village, Kidlit411, Sub it Club, Debut PB Study Group, Storystorm, ReFoReMo) and programs (including 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, Making Picture Book Magic, the Manuscript Academy, WriteOnCon). There I learned about the craft of writing and the business of the children’s publishing industry. I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and attended conferences and workshops. I read hundreds of children’s books. I read books on the craft of writing too. I took long walks with my dog, Janie, to process it all. Perhaps the most important part of my journey was connecting with my talented and supportive critique partners. They challenge and inspire me every day. They also helped create Sylvie from her earliest character study to the last lines of the final book. 

Interestingly, I initially wrote Sylvie in a picture book format. An editor said she loved Sylvie. She called her a young “Leslie Knope” (from NBC’s Parks and Recreation) and suggested I age Sylvie up and build out her story into a chapter book. I took the advice and wrote Sylvie as a chapter book. Soon after, one of my critique partners introduced me to the team at ABDO who would bring Sylvie to life.

Thank you for mentioning all of those fabulous resources — aspiring authors take note. Also, as a HUGE fan of Leslie Knope, I am now even more excited about meeting Sylvie! Now, back to you — did your work previous to writing influence and inform your writing at all?

All of my previous professional and volunteer experiences provide me with an unusual but invaluable foundation for my writing, especially for writing Sylvie.

Like Sylvie, I’m a lifelong altruist. Prior to writing, I served as Director of Corporate Affairs and Philanthropy for Polo Ralph Lauren. I’ve also worked or volunteered for numerous government, political, and nonprofit organizations including the White House, the United States Senate, three presidential campaigns, two presidential inaugural committees, and Special Olympics. These experiences, as well as the volunteer projects from my childhood through today, inform the events for this series. 

In addition, I believe resilience is a key for success in the publishing industry. My experience in the political arena was an incredible lesson in giving your all and enjoying the journey, regardless of the outcome.

I couldn’t agree more, and sometimes think resilience is the key to success in the publishing industry. Now, on to Sylvie. Can you tell us a bit more about her?

Sylvie is fiercely determined to make a difference in the world, no matter what might get in her way. She’s an altruist and an optimist. She is intensely passionate about the things most important to her (especially making the world a better place, her adopted puppy Snickers, her best friend Sammy, and ice cream sundaes with extra rainbow sprinkles).

Now, since today also marks the first time you are sharing any of your book’s covers, let’s talk about that. What did you think when you first saw your character, Sylvie, brought to life by illustrator Jen Taylor?

The first thing I noticed on the cover was Sylvie’s megaphone. The inclusion of that personal item showed how well Jen captured the spirit of this character. It was thrilling to see Sylvie come to life with so much energy and excitement on all the covers and interior art scenes.

Why do you think it’s important for kids to read about a character like Sylvie?

More than ever, this generation is growing up in a world with high-stakes challenges—environmental, political, economic, social, and more. I hope they see these challenges as opportunities to make a difference.

What do you hope your readers – especially the young ones – take away from the Sylvie books?

I hope readers can see that you are never too young to change the world for the better. And that there is no one way to make it happen! I also hope the Sylvie books show kids they can do anything they set their mind to, particularly when it comes to helping others.

Many of our site’s readers are teachers and librarians. Is there anything you’d like to say to them – in particular those planning to add Sylvie books to their classrooms and libraries?

First of all, I’d like to say “thank you!” I have so many fond memories of my teachers and librarians, who encouraged my love of learning and helping others. Educators bringing Sylvie into their classrooms should check out the back matter. Each book has a page with resources for extension activities, which I hope will serve as a helpful roadmap. Information for events featured in the books is all included (Make a Difference Day, Earth Day, beach clean up, and winter coat drive).

Good to know! One last thing: where can our readers find out more about you and your work?

Thanks so much of this opportunity to connect with the incredible MG Book Village community! Readers can visit me at www.alibovisbooks.com or follow me on twitter @alibovis.

Ali Bovis is a children’s writer and lifelong altruist. Her debut chapter book series, Sylvie, releases in 2020, published by ABDO books. A Georgetown University graduate, Ali grew up in New York City and now lives in Bethesda, Maryland with her husband, two children, and two playful poodle-mixes. Like Sylvie, Ali is always dreaming up ways to make a difference in the world. Prior to writing for children, Ali served as Director of Corporate Affairs and Philanthropy for Polo Ralph Lauren. Ali has also worked or volunteered for numerous government, political, and nonprofit organizations including the White House, the United States Senate, three presidential campaigns, and Special Olympics. You can follow Ali on twitter @alibovis or visit her at www.alibovisbooks.com.