Southern Tales of the Supernatural Videoconference with Patricia McKissack

Author Patricia McKissack (and recent Mark Twain Reader Award nominee) will conduct three, 60 minute story-hour sessions during the fall of 2009 with New Links to New Learning. Pat reads the selected books, she’ll talk about (her) inspiration, and she will take questions from students. These story hours are for students in first through fifth grades (depending on the book). The cost is $200 for New Links members and $250 for non-members. First up is The Dark Thirty. To register, contact Rebecca Morrison by October 16. There are currently two slots left for interactive sites.

Just in time for Halloween: Pat will read select portions of The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural on October 23, 2009 at 11 a.m. central. This book is for students ages 9-12; “these 10 spine-tinglers range from straight-up ghost stories to eerie narratives. The tales in this winner of the 1993 Coretta Scott King Award depict racism, haunting and vengeance in a manner that can be read out loud around a campfire or savored privately, offering middle readers thoughtful exposure to important, though frightening, historical themes.” (Amazon.com)

A Friendship for Today Recognized

Each year, Missouri students in fourth through sixth grades vote for their favorite book from a list of nominated books to honor one with the title of the Mark Twain Readers Award.

(Students, teachers, librarians and parents can recommend books for the award). The participating students are eligible to vote for their favorite book if they have read at least four of the titles on the current master list. Then the Mark Twain Readers Award is given to the author of the winning book by the Missouri Association of School Librarians (MASL).

Nominated for 2009-2010 is New Links to New Learning author Patricia McKissack, for her 2007 book, A Friendship For Today (Scholastic Press). According to MASL, “the purpose of the Mark Twain Award is to provide children of Missouri with a recommended reading list of literature that will enrich their lives.”

Congrats to Pat for being nominated! Voting ends in March 2010.

Goin’ Someplace Special Podcast

The latest Author Visit Podcast is now up on podbean.com. Patricia McKissack reads from her book, Goin’ Someplace Special, a story about the injustices of segregation in the South in the 1950s.

Pat’s podcasts include reading excerpts from her books Tippy Lemmey and Clone Codes.