I loved chatting about RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE with Judy Bradbury on her Children's Book Corner blog! In addition to asking some fantastic questions about writing, Judy includes classroom exercises as well as poetry and verse novel recommendations. Read the whole post here! … [Read more...]
RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE Finished Copies Arrive!
I was so thrilled to see the finished copies of RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, a book of my heart that will publish with Quill Tree Books/Harper Collins on February 2, 2021! The fact that they arrived on Inauguration Day, when Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first woman, first Black person, and first … [Read more...]
Lots of Lists for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!
I'm honored to see RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE on so many "Anticipated" lists for 2021! Check them out below: Reading Middle Grade Blog Forever and Everly "2021Books to Look Out For" . Litericious "Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021" Just Another Teen Reading … [Read more...]
A BookPage STAR for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!!
I was stunned by this incredible starred review from BookPage for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!! Among the wonderful praise: "The poems in Red, White, and Whole are vibrant and lyrical, clear and smooth. In her first novel in verse, LaRocca (Midsummer’s Mayhem) showcases the best of what verse can do, … [Read more...]
MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL ARCs Arrive!
I'm at my goofiest here opening a package full of ARCs of my forthcoming MG novel, MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL, coming June 15, 2021 from Little Bee Books! This companion novel to MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM involves math, baseball, magic, and salty snacks. You can learn more and find preorder links here. … [Read more...]
RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE on the KidLit These Days Podcast’s Most Anticipated of 2021 List!
I was thrilled to hear Matthew Winner and Nicole Young mention RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE as one of their most anticipated books of 2021 on Book Riot's KidLit These Days Podcast! Click on this link, or listen below! … [Read more...]
A STAR from Booklist for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!!
I'm thrilled and honored that RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE has gotten a STARRED review from ALA Booklist! I'm so delighted that this book of my heart resonates in this way! The full review will be posted in January. … [Read more...]
RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!
I'm honored and thrilled to announce that RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection! It's so wonderful that this book of my heart will be in libraries and classrooms across the country! … [Read more...]
The Cover Reveal for Much Ado About Baseball!
I am so excited that awesome librarian Betsy Bird hosted the cover reveal of MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL on her School Library Journal Blog! Read about my inspiration for the book, and try out a fun recipe for "Baked Sports Crisps!" You can read more about MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL and find … [Read more...]
An Honor from the Massachusetts House of Representatives!
I was stunned and thrilled to get this citation from the Massachusetts House of Representatives and a personal note from my own state representative, Tami Gouveia, in congratulations for MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM winning a Massachusetts Book Award Honor! … [Read more...]
A Beautiful Book Giveaway to Thank Joy McCullough!
Three years ago, I entered Pitch Wars with my book, MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM. I was nervous, and I didn't expect to get in, but I figured I didn't have anything to lose by trying. And then, at the end of August, I found out that Joy McCullough had chosen to mentor me! Her suggested edits weren't easy, but … [Read more...]
The Pitch Wars 2020 Team PITA Mentor Wish List!
Welcome! Welcome to Pitch Wars 2020!! This year, Remy Lai and I are mentoring Middle Grade. What exactly is Pitch Wars? It's a mentoring program for unagented writers. You can read more about it here. We’ll get to our wish list in a moment, but first, a little about us, your potential … [Read more...]
A Massachusetts Book Award Honor!
I'm thrilled that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM is a Massachusetts Book Award Honor title in Middle Grade/Young Adult category!! The story is set in a fictionalized version of my hometown of Concord, MA, which has always felt magical to me. My friend Kip Wilson's YA novel in verse, WHITE ROSE, earned the other … [Read more...]
RED, WHITE , AND WHOLE ARCs Arrive!!
It's such an incredible moment as an author when you get to see the manuscript you've worked so hard on in book-shaped form for the first time! And when the Advance Reader's Copies (ARCs) are as beautiful as the ones for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, it's even more wonderful. This is what is feels like to … [Read more...]
Proud to Be a 2021 WNDB Mentor!
It's so important that children's literature reflects the beautiful diversity of our country and the world. We Need Diverse Books has worked toward that goal since 2014, helping to foster change so that all children can see themselves in books. I'm honored and excited to announce that I will be a … [Read more...]
Legit Kidlit!
I'm honored to be the first guest on Legit Kidlit, where Alexis and Tiffany, two awesome teachers, interview authors and spread book love! Check out Part 1 of my "interview" below, and subscribe to hear more from other wonderful authors! And you can check out Part 2 here, and be sure to … [Read more...]
The Middle Ground Book Fest!
I had such a blast being a part of the first-ever Middle Ground Book Fest! This virtual book festival takes place on YouTube on August 1-2, 2020 and focuses on middle grade books! I was part of a "Sibling Relationships" panel with wonderful authors Nicole Panteleakos, Katie Zhao, Mariama Lockington, … [Read more...]
The Inaugural nErDCampPA!!
On July 16, 2020 I was so thrilled to be a part of the first-ever nErdCampPA!! The day started off with an incredible keynote from Paula Chase on "How Convenience is Killing Reading": I participated in five panels, including: "Diversity and #ownvoices in Kidlit" with Mayra Cuevas, … [Read more...]
RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE Cover Reveal and ARC giveaway!
I am utterly thrilled to share the cover of my next middle grade novel, RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, coming February 2, 2021 with Quill Tree Books, an imprint of HarperCollins! RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE is a novel-in-verse set in 1983 about 13-year-old Reha, the daughter of Indian immigrants, who feels … [Read more...]
nErDCampNJ 2020: Virtual But Valuable!
I was thrilled to participate in nErDCampNJ 2020 with so many amazing authors and educators! Click below to view the panels I participated in: Reading and Writing Verse Novels with Chris Baron and Laura Shovan: Document/Notes Link Balancing Research and Imagination in Fiction with Josh … [Read more...]
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