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Articles by Gary Schmidt
Middle-Grade Review: Styx and Stones By Gary D. Schmidt
About This Book: Percy Jackson meets The Labors of Hercules Beal in this hilarious, page-turning fantasy adventure with a heart of gold from two award-winning authors. Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Along the way, he faces the monster Cerberus, befriends the tormented Sisyphus, and becomes Persephone’s favorite servant.
The Wednesday Wars Book Review
age 10+ Funny, breathtakingly poignant '60s coming-of-age tale. Parents need to know that Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars, by Gary D. Schmidt, is a poignant coming-of-age story involving the funny misadventures of Long Island, New York, seventh-grader Holling Hoodhood and his unlikely discovery of Shakespeare in the turbulent academic year of 1967-68. There are two references to middle school students smoking, and a scene of two rats run over by a bus. very little Twinkies, Coke, Ford Mustang.
Pay Attention, Carter Jones Book Review
age 10+ Butler with cricket bat rescues family in sweet, funny tale. Parents need to know that Pay Attention, Carter Jones is Newbery Honor author Gary D. Schmidt's variation on the ever-popular theme of the unlikely outsider who arrives in the midst of some crisis, thinks outside the box, imparts life lessons in creative ways, and generally puts all to rights.
Just Like That Book Review
age 11+ Warm boarding school grief tale has some gory violence. Parents need to know that in Gary D. Schmidt's Just Like That,some violent scenes punctuate an otherwise witty and wam tale about loss and life at an all-girls boarding school. It's 1968 and Meryl Lee loses her best friend, Holling Hoodhood (a character from Schmidt's Newbery Honor book The Wednesday Wars), in a car accident.
Community calendar Monday, August 11
August 11 Music West Shore Civic Band Howard Hornung/Tom Thomas Memorial Band Concert, 7 p.m., Waterfront Park, 391 S. William St., Ludington Activities Teen Summer Craft Time, 12 — 2:30 p.m., Ludington Library, 217 E. Ludington Ave., Ludington DJ Trivia, 7 p.m., Murphy’s Tavern, 8848 80th Ave., Pentwater DJ Trivia at North Channel Brewing, 6:30 — 8:30 p.m., 86 Washington St., Manistee Summer Camp 2025, 3 p.m., Grace Adventures, 2100 N.
Community calendar Saturday, August 9
August 9 Music Dinner Dance with BVO, 7 p.m., Murphy’s Tavern, 8848 80th Ave., Pentwater Dana and Mike, 6 — 8 p.m., Golden Sands Golf and Bucket Bar, 2501 N. Wilson Rd., Mears Rocket Fuel Haulers, 7 — 11 p.m., Chicken Shack, 8301 W.
Community calendar Friday, August 8
All music performances can be found in The Scene, included in this edition. August 8 Activities Preschool Story Time, 10 — 11 a.m., Scottville Library, 204 E. State St., Scottville Fun with Foods Friday, 12 — 2 p.m., Scottville Library, 204 E.
Community calendar Thursday, August 7
August 7 Music Live Music in the Plaza, 6 — 8 p.m., Legacy Plaza, 112 N. James St., Ludington Civic Band Concert, 7:30 — 8:30 p.m., Village Green, 231 S. Hancock St., Pentwater Lucid Vibe — Music on the Commons, 6 — 8 p.m., Hart Commons, 206 E. Main St., Hart Redux — Live Music in the Garden (classic rock, heavy emphasis on popular 80’s music), 5 — 8 p.m., Jamesport Brewing Company, 410 S. James St., Ludington Karaoke at the Sandbar with VintageNutz, 9 p.m., 203 S.
Community calendar Wednesday, August 6
August 6 Music Acoustic Oasis — Night at the Lights Concert Series at Little Sable Point Lighthouse, 7 — 9 p.m., 287 N. Lighthouse Dr., Mears Redux performs at Gull Landing (classic rock, heavy emphasis on popular 80’s music), 6 — 9 p.m., 438 S. Hancock St., Pentwater LACA Concert Series: East Bay Drive, 7 — 9 p.m., Waterfront Park, 300 W. William St., Ludington Bike Night at Doc’s with Live Music, 5 — 8 p.m., Doc’s on the River, 9121 N.
Community calendar Tuesday, August 5
August 5 Music Ruth and Max Bloomquist, rootsy acoustic Americana Folk, 7 — 8 p.m., Ludington State Park Amphitheater, 8800 M-116, Ludington Silverado — Silver Lake Community Concert Series, 6:30 — 8 p.m., Golden Township Park, 8501 Silver Lake Rd., Mears East Bay Drive — Manistee Shoreline Showcase, 7 — 9:15 p.m., Rotary Pavilion, 1st St. Beach — Douglas Park, Manistee Activities Chess Club LUD, 1 — 3 p.m., Ludington Library, 217 E.
OVERHEARD | Kirkus Reviews
A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War. A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life. When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death.
In Conversation: Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge
Gary D. Schmidt is the author of numerous children’s books, including the National Book Award finalist Okay for Now, the Newbery Honor and Printz Honor book Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, and the Newbery Honor book The Wednesday Wars. He lives in Michigan. A two-time winner of the PEN Award, Ron Koertge is the author of Stoner & Spaz and Shakespeare Bats Cleanup, among other titles for young readers. He lives in South Pasadena, Calif.
A Day at the Beach
Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge, illus. by Yaoyao Ma Van As. Clarion, $18.99 (224p) ISBN 978-0-06-338092-9 Collaborators Schmidt (Jupiter Rising) and Koertge (Maya’s Story) team up with illustrator Ma Van As (the Kudo Kids series) to explore a single day at Rockcastle Beach, N.J., through the perspectives of more two dozen kids in this winsome work.
The Best Audiobooks for Young Adults of 2024
The best audiobooks for teens and young adults of 2024, according to editors of AudioFile magazine: Canto Contigo by Jonny Garza Villa, narrated by Alejandro Antonio Ruiz Alejandro Antonio Ruiz embodies all of the roiling emotions in this compelling queer teen love story. Rafie learned his love of mariachi from his abuelo. He’s devastated when his abuelo dies yet is determined to bring home another first-place trophy from the Mariachi Extravaganza.
SMSD News: Read across SMSD October 2024 - know your power
The Shawnee Mission School District is proud to present a new season of Read Across SMSD! Offered in partnership with NEA-Shawnee Mission and the Shawnee Mission Education Foundation, this program celebrates reading and our district Strategic Plan belief that our strength is derived from our diversity. Each month, the Shawnee Mission School District highlights book selections from the National Education Association, related to a monthly theme.
JUPITER RISING | Kirkus Reviews
Lachrymose but brimming also with love and heart. Having lost one beloved foster sibling in Orbiting Jupiter (2015), Jack Hurd faces the devastating prospect of losing another in this equally intense companion volume. Schmidt packs his story with seemingly tough but emotionally vulnerable males circling orphaned Jupiter, who is 3 years old and a charismatic scene stealer.
By Gary D. Schmidt.
Aug. 2024. 208p. Clarion, $18.99 (9780358659648). Grades 6-9. REVIEW. First published June 1, 2024 (Booklist). In this companion book to Schmidt’s Orbiting Jupiter (2015), Jack is still grieving for Joseph, his older foster brother. Joseph’s three-year-old daughter, Jupiter, is about to be adopted by Jack’s foster parents when her maternal grandparents decide to adopt her themselves. But if they take Jupiter, how can Jack keep his promise to his brother to “always know where she is”?
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Unveils New Video Series Featuring 18 Notable Children's and Young Adult Authors
National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Meg Medina is launching a new video series starting on May 14, featuring beloved children’s and young adult authors, illustrators and graphic novelists to foster a lifelong love of reading among young learners.
The Labors of Hercules Beal
Twelve-year-old Hercules Beal hates his name. After all, he’s short and not intrepid like the physically imposing and heroic mythical Hercules. But it’s the name his parents gave him, and now he’s stuck with it. There’s one thing, though, that Hercules (the boy) has in common with Hercules (the myth)—in both cases, their parents have died. Hercules lives with his older brother in Truro, Mass., and he’s convinced it’s the most beautiful place in the world.
Jusqu’ici tout va bien
Oneshot 14 février 2024 (à paraître) - 232 pages - Édité par Rue de Sèvres © Rue de Sèvres / Gary D. Schmidt / Pitz Jusqu’ici tout va bien est un album oneshot de Gary D. Schmidt et Nicolas Pitz, dont la sortie est annoncée pour le 14 février 2024. Selon nos informations, il n'en existe qu'une seule édition, publiée par Rue de Sèvres. Note des internautes Veuillez laisser ce champ vide : Synopsis 1968, dans une petite ville de l’État de New York. Un père sans repères, une mère sans remède.
The Labors of Hercules Beal
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt read by Fred Berman Review posted December 16, 2023. Clarion Books, 2023. 8 hours, 17 minutes. Review written December 13, 2023, from a library eaudiobook. Starred Review 2023 Sonderbooks Stand-out: #2 More Children's Fiction I already knew I love Gary Schmidt's writing. Even knowing that, this one blew me away, touching me to the point of tears in several spots. This story is told in the voice of a 12-year-old boy.
Meet the author of 'The Labors of Hercules Beal'
This interview originally aired on In the Moment on SDPB Radio. In "The Labors of Hercules Beal," a middle school student gets a unique assignment from a unique teacher. Hercules Beal must recreate the trials of his mythic namesake, and he learns a thing or two about himself along the way. Author Gary D. Schmidt stops by the SDPB studio ahead of the Young Readers Festival of Books. He discusses how he came up with the crazy plot points of the novel.
Get a sneak peek at the Young Readers Festival of Books
On today's show... Dozens of children's and young adult book authors and illustrators are gathering in the Black Hills for the Young Readers Festival of Books. We welcome four of them to In the Moment. Henry Cole is a prolific author and illustrator with more than 170 books in his library of works. He joins Lori Walsh for a discussion on words, pictures and the stories they form. "The Labors of Hercules Beal" features a middle school boy attempting to recreate the feats of Hercules.
Every book has a silver lining: Orbiting Jupiter
In just under 200 pages, Gary D. Schmidt, two-time Newbery Honor author, welcomes readers into the heartbreaking and emotional narrative of his novel, Orbiting Jupiter. The narrator, 12-year-old Jack Hurd, introduces readers to his new foster brother, Joseph Brook, a 14-year-old fresh out of a juvenile facility.
THE LABORS OF HERCULES BEAL
Fred Berman's narration of this audiobook has a driving force--as do its action-packed plot and its hero, seventh-grader Hercules Beal. Berman captures Hercules's mix of determination and resentment when his teacher assigns him the task of performing the 12 labors of his mythical namesake. Periodically, Berman expresses Hercules's concealed grief over his parents' recent deaths. His performance is peppered with Hercules's wit, sarcasm, and sense of wonder.
Need to Read: May 13
Adult Fiction “The Tourist” by Olen Steinhauer Milo Weaver began his career with the CIA as an undercover agent, also known as a “tourist.” Now a family man, he’s a middle manager at the CIA headquarters in New York. However, his whole life is about to be upended by the arrest of a long-sought-after assassin. Children “How Do You Burp in Space?” by Susan E. Goodman One day you might be able to vacation on the moon.
Books in Brief:The Labors of Hercules Beal, Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything, When You Can Swim
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt; Clarion Books, 347 pages ($19.99) Age 8 to 12. Gary D. Schmidt, author of National Book Award finalist "Okay for Now" and Newbery Honor books "The Wednesday Wars" and "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy," has written his most compelling novel yet in this moving tale of a grieving boy finding courage, healing and community as he sets out to duplicate the 12 Labors of the mythical Hercules for a class assignment.
UW Press: The Summers
Catalog Archive / Spring 2023 The Summers Winner of the Mara-Cassens Literature Prize “A sensitive story of being torn in two, of being caught in the middle.” The Summers narrates the coming of age of Leyla, who spends the school year in her mother’s home country of Germany but travels every summer to her father’s Kurdish village in Syria, near the Turkish border. There, with her grandparents and Yazidi friends, she comes alive.
All About Books: An Interview with Middle School Librarian Erin Wyatt
I thought it would be helpful to readers to get an inside perspective on middle grade books. What are middle schoolers reading? What holes are there in the market? And, with the holidays coming, what should you consider when buying a middle schooler a book as a gift? I wanted to utilize a great source to answer my questions: a middle-school librarian! Erin Wyatt is not only the librarian of my own children’s school here in Illinois, but we both used to work at the same school in our previous lives.
Book Review
Livermore Falls Advertiser increase font size By Brianna RushTreat Memorial Library Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt When eighth grader Meryl Lee’s best friend dies in an accident, she is haunted by an all consuming grief she calls “The Blank”. Her parents decide that she needs a change of scenery and send her to St. Elene’s Preparatory Academy on the coast of Maine.
Exclusive Book Trailer Reveal: Ground Zero by Alan Gratz
We are thrilled to be revealing the book trailer for Alan Gratz’s new middle-grade novel, Ground Zero, which releases on February 2nd 2021 from Scholastic. Read on to discover more about the book, virtual tour dates, and the trailer where the author speaks about Ground Zero and what readers can expect. Ground Zero is available for pre-order and you can also read an excerpt on the Scholastic website.
Books in Brief: Just Like That, Three Keys, Every Single Lie
Books in Brief: Just Like That, Three Keys, Every Single Lie 1 of 3 CHILDREN'S Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt; Clarion Books, 400 pages ($16.99) Ages 10 to 14. ... Acclaimed author Gary D. Schmidt returns to the Vietnam War years (and the world of "The Wednesday Wars" and "Okay for Now") for this marvelous novel of healing and loss and the redemptive power of connection.
Shelf Life
Angela Bauer, abauer@myjournalcourier.com Published 4:08 am CST, Saturday, December 19, 2020 Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close Image 1 of 19 ADULT FICTION “Over the Woodward Wall” by A. Deborah Baker: Avery is an exceptional child. Everything he does is precise, from the way he washes his face in the morning to the way he completes his homework — without complaint, without fuss, without prompt. Zib also is an exceptional child, because all children are, in their own way.
A LONG ROAD ON A SHORT DAY
Ryan Hart is navigating the fourth grade and all its challenges with determination. Her mom named her Ryan because it means “king,” and she wanted Ryan to feel powerful every time she heard her name; Ryan knows it means she is a leader.
Just Like That
Gr 5-8–Schmidt’s extended family of memorable characters loses one but gains a few more in this masterful companion to The Wednesday Wars and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. It’s summer 1968, immediately after the end of Wednesday Wars, and Meryl Lee Kowalski (described as having auburn hair and freckles) is reeling from the shocking accidental death of Holling Hoodhood, the boy she’s loved since the third grade.
Gary Schmidt: Is it time for President Donald Trump to offer a pardon to Edward Snowden?
Presidents were given the pardon power for two principal reasons: one, in times of crisis, a timely pardon might be in the country’s national interest and, two, when the letter of the law creates an inequity in its application. Neither situation applies to Edward Snowden. To the contrary, his decision to steal 1.5 million highly classified documents from U.S. intelligence and make them available to journalists and, when published, America’s adversaries, is deserving of an extended stay in prison.
Our 2020 Summer Reading List
The constant din of voices swirling and opinions flying in today’s physically-distanced, yet socially-shrinking world is overwhelming. Searching for trusted information from diverse points of view is daunting. Like many of you, we at the Rabbit Room are processing current events, both as an organization and personally, and are seeking to listen and act with empathy, peace, and grace in Christ.
SO TALL WITHIN by Gary D Schmidt Read by Channie Waites
Narrator Channie Waites captures the pain, struggle, and ultimate triumph of a New York slave named Isabella, who later became known as Sojourner Truth. With precise, clear diction, Waites delivers the dramatic story of Isabella's fight for her and her son's freedom, emphasizing the impassioned quality of Schmidt's evocative prose. Waites uses distinct timbres and cold tones to depict the white master and his wife who enslaved Isabella.
PAY ATTENTION CARTER JONES by Gary D Schmidt Read by Christopher Gebauer
Christopher Gebauer's narration aids in making the opening scene of this audiobook believable. A butler shows up on the doorstep of 12-year-old Carter Jones on the chaotic first morning of a new school year. Gebauer gives a proper British accent and proud attitude to the portly gentleman and to Carter's mockery of the butler's manner. This is only the first implausible situation as Mr. Bowles-Fitzpatrick proceeds to transform Carter's home like an unmagical Mary Poppins.
Top 10 Books Middle Schoolers Love (As Decided by Middle Schoolers) by Olivia Myers
Posted by CBethM on March 9, 2019 in Top Ten Lists | I am, by no means, an expert on the middle grade psyche. They deal in ultimatums, and I find that their opinions are fast, fierce and at times, flippant. However, I love everything about middle grade students. They are so funny, smart and at a unique place where they are coming into themselves. As a middle school teacher, I know it can be hard to get your students excited about reading.
A Middle Grade Books Gift Guide for the 2018 Holidays
*This list was originally published on The Kids Are All Right newsletter on December 2, 2018. Follow this link to subscribe to the newsletter for weekly children’s book lists, news, and recommendations! Yay, it’s time for my annual gift giving guide for middle grade books published in 2018! (“Middle grade” is a loose term for readers 8–12.) As I have done in the past, I have grouped my favorites based on themes from classic children’s books.
This Week In Books
Hi Kid Lit friends! Yay, it’s time for my annual gift giving guide for middle grade books published in 2018! (“Midde grade” is a loose term referring to readers ages 8 to 12.) As I have done in the past, I have grouped my favorites based on themes from classic children’s books. Check out this list of over sixty middle grade books, sure to entire your young readers. *Please note that all book descriptions are from Goodreads. Sponsored by The Train to Impossible Places by P. G. Bell.
Surviving, and Thriving, in Middle School Hell? Three New Novels Say It’s Possible
Of the many strange paradoxes that bedevil our tween years — years that most of us would never, ever wish to relive — few perplex more thoroughly than the tension between wanting to be a confident, competent, standout individual, while at the same time yearning with a desire almost beyond expression to be accepted into a community, a group, a team, a club, a clique — anything.
The InbeTWEENers: 25 Great Books for Kids Between Middle Grade and Young Adult
For many of us, the pre-teen and early teen years were a particularly awkward phase that we look back on and cringe (I’m thinking of 11 to 13 years old, roughly 5th-8th grade in school). Past the cute stages of early childhood and not quite big enough to be a full fledged teen or young adult, kids in their middle years face a very particular set of challenges and experiences: Friendships change and die, interests and hobbies wax and wane, and bodies, well, bodies start changing.
A Kids’ Novel About That One Teacher Who Changes Everything (Published 2016)
Children’s Books Aug. 26, 2016 MS. BIXBY’S LAST DAY By John David Anderson 300 pp. Walden Pond Press. $16.99. (Middle grade; ages 8 to 12) Early in “Ms. Bixby’s Last Day” — a title pregnant with meanings, all of them as sad and moving as you’d care to imagine — Topher remembers the moment he first encountered the woman who would become his sixth-grade teacher. In one of many comic juxtapositions, they meet at a circus, and there he asks her to teach him to juggle.
Schmidt, G: Orbiting Jupiter
**In this riveting novel, two boys discover the true meaning of family and the sacrifices it requires.**Two-time Newbery Honor winner Gary D. Schmidt delivers the shattering story of Joseph, a father at thirteen, who has never seen his daughter, Jupiter. After spending time in a juvenile facility, he's placed with a foster family on a farm in rural Maine.
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