Tuesday, March 20, 2012

What is Michael Northrop reading?

The current featured contributor at Writers Read: Michael Northrop, author of Plunked, his first middle grade novel.

His entry begins:
I just finished up a red-hot, 10-book roll. I'm a slow reader, so it was a slow roll, but still: I read ten books in a row that were all at least excellent. A few were downright amazing, and at least one was nearly perfect. Here's a quick look at each:

We the Animals by Justin Torres: I read this for book club and was blown away. It’s a fierce, poetic debut that punches way above its 125-page weight class.

Townie by Andre Dubus III: Speaking of punching, there’s quite a bit of it in this one. Fighting, writing, family, and place are all major subjects, and they add up to one of the best memoirs I've...[read on]
About Plunked, from the publisher:
When a young slugger gets hit by a pitch, he needs more than practice to get back his game.Sixth grader Jack Mogens has it all figured out: He's got his batting routine down, and his outfielding earns him a starting spot alongside his best friend Andy on their Little League team, the Tall Pines Braves. He even manages to have a not-totally-embarrassing conversation with Katie, the team's killer shortstop. But in the first game of the season, a powerful stray pitch brings everything Jack's worked so hard for crashing down around his ears. How can he explain to his parents and friends why he won't be playing? Readers will root for Jack as he finds the courage to step back up to the plate.
Learn more about the book and author at Michael Northrop's website.

Writers Read: Michael Northrop (March 2011).

Writers Read: Michael Northrop.

--Marshal Zeringue