Posts Tagged Giveaways

Author Spotlight: Rosanne Tolin + a Book Giveaway!

Today, Melissa Roske chats author Rosanne Tolin about her middle-grade novel, Freedom’s Game, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a pair of Jewish orphans, set in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. Praised by National Jewish Book Award winner Nancy Churnin as “… a thrilling, well-researched historical tale of heroism and hope,” the novel is available now from Reycraft Books. (Don’t forget to enter the giveaway to win a copy of Freedom’s Game! Details below 👇)

Interview with Rosanne Rolin

Melissa: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Rosanne. Thanks for stopping by!

Rosanne: Thanks Melissa, I’m really excited to be here! Especially as a long-time fan of what you and the rest of the group at MUF do for writers and readers of MG by spotlighting books.

Freedom’s Game: A Summary

Melissa: First, congratulations on the publication of Freedom’s Game. I inhaled it in one sitting, during a car ride from New York to Boston. (Don’t worry, I wasn’t driving. 🙂 )  Can you give Mixed-Up Files readers a brief summary?

Rosanne: Of course! Freedom’s Game follows its two young protagonists—both refugee children fleeing World War Two Germany—to their hiding place, an abandoned chateau in France. When a mysterious new instructor arrives to teach gym class, the kids are uncertain about him. Is he there to help them escape into war-neutral Switzerland, or is he a Nazi ally attempting to gain their trust for nefarious reasons? The book is based on a series of true events that were too awe-inspiring, in my opinion, to be omitted from the more talked-about annals of Holocaust history.

Melissa: Freedom’s Game is a dual-perspective novel featuring two 12-year-olds—Ziggy, an introspective bookworm, and Elka, a running-obsessed chatterbox—who meet at a Jewish orphanage in Annemasse France, near the Swiss border. Although Ziggy and Elka seem to have little in common, they quickly become BFFs. Can you tell us more about this unlikely pair of friends and what binds them together?

Rosanne: I think the idea that opposites attract applies to these two. Elka is much more outward in how she moves through the world. For the most part, she says what she thinks, is upbeat and positive and asserts her opinions. Ziggy, on the other hand, is more reserved and skeptical and studious, and Elka’s ability to pull him out of his shell is a big reason they become fast friends. But eventually, it’s Ziggy who coaxes Elka into revealing the source of her sadness. Before they’d met, she’d buried it deep inside.

Because they’re so different, one’s able to sense what the other needs during their darker moments. Wondering what’s happened to their parents and fearing for their safety is part of their daily existence—so the strength they gain from their unlikely friendship becomes a kind of survival mechanism, too.

A Tale of Two Perspectives

Melissa: As above, the novel is told from two perspectives. What was the impetus behind writing a dual-POV story? Also, what was your writing process like? Did you write Ziggy’s section and then Elka’s? The other way around? Or did you alternate?

Rosanne: My first few drafts of the manuscript were told entirely from Elka’s perspective. But when I set out to do serious revision work, I realized that Ziggy was as much at the heart of the story as she was. Although they’re from the same country, Germany, their world views are quite different. For that reason, I thought dual POV would be a great way to explore and contrast their interior lives. Elka believes Georges Loinger is there to rescue them from deportation; Ziggy is suspicious of his real motives. By playing off one another, in alternating viewpoints, I’m hopeful the reader’s experience is more immersive, even magnified. Will they empathize with Elka’s viewpoint, or Ziggy’s? Does that possibly change, chapter by chapter? By getting to know both characters in equal measure, is it harder to discern who’s “right”? I think the dual perspectives also become dueling perspectives, in a sense. And, as the story moves forward, the back and forth helps to push its pacing and momentum.

Georges Loinger: The Man Behind the Story

Melissa: Freedom’s Game is based on the true story of Jewish French Resistance member Georges Loinger, who at first Ziggy and Elka suspect is a Nazi spy. Can you elaborate? Also, what was it about Loinger’s story that compelled you to write about it?

Rosanne: Georges was born in Strasbourg, France—and because Strasbourg is so close to Germany, he grew up fluent in both German and French. This benefitted him later, during the war, allowing him to navigate travel through Germany—speaking whichever language he needed to, based on whom he encountered. His fair hair and blue eyes also aided his ability to move about freely, since his looks were classically “Aryan”—therefore he wasn’t suspected of being Jewish. He was also a world class runner and used his athletic prowess to evade Nazi patrols. Without giving too much away about the book, his work with Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants (OSE), a Jewish children’s aid organization, would become his primary mission. On the fictional side of things, Ziggy and Elka felt it was frivolous to have gym class when they were in hiding, causing them to question his true intentions.

It was after reading Georges’ obituary in The New York Times in 2018 that I felt compelled to write about him. As a children’s author—and a former journalist—his story captivated me for so many reasons. I was sure it would captivate children, too! Beyond that, the real events that shaped the story were too incredible to keep to myself. It’s not that Georges’ role during the Holocaust was unheard of, but personally I’d not known it before. I figured others probably hadn’t, either.  That spurred me to bring these events, and the bravery these children displayed, to the literary forefront.

Marcel Marceau: Surprise Appearance

Melissa: As a follow-up, Georges Loinger had a famous cousin—Marcel Marceau—who makes a surprise appearance in the novel. Without giving away spoilers, can you tell us more about Marcel Marceau’s role in the novel, and in real life?

Rosanne: I was excited to learn that Marcel was Georges’ first cousin! His last name was originally Mangel, but he changed it to blend in (in France, during wartime). His father, Charles Mangel, was deported to Auschwitz and killed. This sad fact fueled Marcel to work with the resistance, and entertaining children with his antics and miming skills played a fascinating part in that. An interesting detail of note: I’ve read that the reason Marcel always wore a sad face—his makeup when miming included a teardrop drawn on his cheek—was because of the devastating circumstances surrounding World One Two and the genocide of Jewish people.

Hiding in Plain Sight

Melissa: Ziggy and Elka have to keep their Jewish identity a secret, in order to survive. What were you trying to say about the nature of secret keeping, including the toll it takes on those hiding in plain sight?

Rosanne: I think that toll was unquestionably profound. Not only did the kids have to be hyper-vigilant about their surroundings, but also, adopting false identities was confusing. Ziggy questions his faith, his hope, family traditions. For him, this manifests in a loss of trust in others. Elka struggles with isolation and loneliness, and the fear of losing her loved ones. She becomes extremely anxious when she’s alone with her thoughts, and the stress takes its toll on her physically.

“Where There’s Life, There’s Hope”

Melissa: Another important theme in the novel is hope. While Ziggy is afraid to be hopeful, Elka—like Anne Frank, who famously said, “Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again”— survives on hope. Can you share your thoughts on this?

Rosanne: I didn’t totally shy away from the psychological harm the Holocaust had on children in Freedom’s Game. Kids in hiding were worried they’d never be reunited with their families again, but hope was their lifeline to this happy possibility. Bonding with the other children who understood their darkest fears was paramount, and small gestures—like Ziggy caring for Elka with simply an extra spoonful of stew or soup—allowed them to cope with their undeniable traumas. Anne Frank’s diary was and still is one of the ultimate testaments to hope we have of that painful period. Despite her confinement and being constantly under threat, she wrote about her dreams for the future, and her continued belief in the goodness of people. Can you imagine her inner strength? To say it’s admirable is a vast understatement.

It’s All in the Details

Melissa: Since Freedom’s Game is based on true events, you clearly had to do a ton of research to maintain the story’s authenticity. Can you tell MUF readers what this entailed? Also, where in the story were you able to take poetic license?

Rosanne: I did do a great deal of research to get it right. That’s a strong suit for me to begin with, or at least something I’m passionate about! Historical accuracy is one thing, but I love going down all the rabbit holes and finding unique details that make a story come to life.

Prior to writing a first draft, I scoured hundreds of pages of books and hours of Holocaust documentaries, particularly about refugee children living in chateaus in France during the war. I also watched several Shoah tapes and corresponded with incredible resources like the United States Holocaust Museum and the Library of Congress. I relied on resources offered by my local librarians, too. Once I felt the true events were in place that would propel the plot of the novel—and that I could authentically reflect the world inside and outside of the orphanage—I could concentrate on the little stuff. That was a lot of fun. I took poetic license with some details, but they’re still rooted in real life. For instance, I Googled things like, “What kind of candy would a young child have eaten in Germany in 1936?” The answer I got was Riesen Candies. So those became Ziggy’s favorite sweet treat, apart from his mother’s homemade confections.

Once the manuscript was in the hands of my publisher, and we began revising together, much of the minutiae fell into place. I also relied on my “inner circle”. For queries about what children in these orphanages might have known about concentration camps during the Holocaust, I turned to my former professor at Indiana University-Bloomington, who now heads the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism. To be sure I was using German phrases properly, I asked an aunt who is a Harvard professor in Germanic languages and literature.

More Than Marmelade

Melissa: This is not your first children’s book to feature real-life characters. Your debut MG, More Than Marmalade (Chicago Review Press, 2020), chronicles the life of children’s author Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington Bear. What is it about historical figures’ lives that captures your imagination enough to write about them?

Rosanne: It’s probably the former journalist in me. That, and I’ve always found the truth to be stranger than fiction! And perhaps, too, there’s a piece of me that wants to carry on my father’s legacy. He was a pediatrician by day, but a historian and scholar whenever he had time to pursue those interests. He had a whole library at home with books about the Holocaust, World War Two, the Civil War…he was always reading. I’ve always been a bookworm too, but it’s only been recently that I’ve realized I possess that same history bug. Having a deeper understanding of the people and events that came before us can go a long, long way toward peaceful co-existence. Expanding our knowledge of the past is paramount for that. Plus, it’s just interesting!

Writing with Rosanne

Melissa: What does your writing routine look like, Rosanne? Do you have any specific rituals? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

Rosanne: Like a lot of writers, I’d say…it depends. Both are true! I’ve done three NaNoWriMo’s and have come close to writing a first novel draft each time. Freedom’s Game included. However, Freedom’s Game started out as a picture book, and I only decided to write the MG novel version after getting feedback from my agent and critique partner. That scared the heck out of me, because at the time, I’d never written a longer work of fiction—so participating in the 30-day November writing frenzy was a perfect, pressure-free way to get words on the page. Even considering that I needed to have the facts straight, the book was more of a “pantsing” project.

Since then, I’ve written a couple of other novels, one that’s currently out on submission that I’d say was both pantsed and planned, and the other that was more heavily plotted. With the latter, I’ve introduced a historical story in epistolary form, and I wanted the beats of the story to correspond with the letter writing. So that one required some outlining to really get going.

Melissa: What are you working on now? (If you’re able to spill the beans, of course!)

Rosanne: I’m working on my first YA novel. And, also, a dual POV MG mystery that scales younger than most of the manuscripts I’ve written. I love to challenge myself, and both projects are new territory for me. I also like to have multiple projects going at once, to mix things up, and having manuscripts at different stages—for example, outlining versus polishing—helps to keep me focused. It seems like the opposite would be true, but nope.

Lightning Round!

Melissa: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Peanut butter granola + dark chocolate covered almonds.

Coffee or tea? BOTH! I enjoy a mug of Pete’s dark roast ‘Major Dickason’ coffee every morning when I set out to write, and an iced tea or hot tea later in the day…weather dependent. It’s my little pick-me-up and helps to redirect me, during the afternoon lull.

Favorite Paddington Bear fun fact? A few things come to mind—more so about the Paddington Bear movies! The creator of the Paddington character, Michael Bond, also appeared briefly in the first film. He played the role of the Kindly Gentleman. And when the films were dubbed into Ukrainian, Paddington was voiced by the country’s president Volodymyr Zelenskyy! Also, in the third Paddington film coming out soon, Paddington in Peru, the late Queen Elizabeth has a small cameo. She filmed it just a few months before she died.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Like Night of the Living Dead stuff? No. I’m a scaredy cat, so I stay away from books and movies with zombies or ghosts (unless they’re friendly ghosts).

Superpower? Flying! I hate traffic, so being able to bypass it would be awesome. I’d love to ride the wind—like a bird. Can I add an element of teleportation in there too? Where time is compressed, and I can fly somewhere in the blink of an eye—and be with loved ones who live faraway, within seconds.

Favorite place on earth? Anywhere at all as long as I’m with my family. After that, probably the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?

I assume “things” can’t include my husband or kids? Then let me take my dog(s), please!—plus a book (figuring out which one is a whole other issue), and a bottomless cup of strong coffee.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Rosanne—and congratulations on the publication of Freedom’s Game. I’m sure Mixed-Up readers will enjoy it as much as I did!

Rosanne: It was my pleasure. Thank you so much for your thoughtful questions, Melissa. I really hope readers enjoy it, too!

GIVEAWAY!

To win a copy of Freedom’s Game, please leave a comment on the blog. (U.S. only, please.) Giveaway ends at midnight EST on December 16.

All About Rosanne 

Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Rosanne Tolin is the author of More Than Marmalade: Michael Bond and The Story of Paddington Bear and Freedom’s Game. An experienced and respected journalist, her work has focused primarily on children’s publications. She was the creator of an ALA notable website for kids, the managing editor of a children’s magazine, and a Hoosier State Press Award-winning features writer. She lives in Chesterton, Indiana, with her husband. When not working, she can be found hiking with her dogs in the Indiana Dunes or Colorado’s Tenmile Range. Learn more about Rosanne on her website and follow her on Twitter/X and Instagram.

Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour — Interview with Honor Book Award-winner Author Sofiya Pasternack

 

 

The Mixed Up Files Blog is proud to be a host for the Sydney Taylor Book Award.

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature. Gold medals are presented in three categories: Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult. Honor Books are awarded silver medals, and Notable Books are named in each category.  To learn more about this prestigious award and to see a list of all of the winners, please visit this website: https://jewishlibraries.org

 

 

Today we are thrilled to introduce Sofiya Pasternack, author of the Black Bird, Blue Road (published by Versify,
an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

a  Sydney Taylor Honor Book in theMiddle Grade Category. CONGRATULATIONS Sofiya!

 

 

 

 

BlackBird Blue Road

 

In this historical fantasy novel, praised as a “rich, omen-filled journey that powerfully shows love and its limits*” and “propulsive, wise, and heartbreaking,”** Ziva will do anything to save her twin brother Pesah from his illness—even facing the Angel of Death himself. From Sydney Taylor Honor winner and National Jewish Book Award finalist Sofiya Pasternack.

Pesah has lived with leprosy for years, and the twins have spent most of that time working on a cure. Then Pesah has a vision: The Angel of Death will come for him on Rosh Hashanah, just one month away.

So Ziva takes her brother and runs away to find doctors who can cure him. But when they meet and accidentally free a half-demon boy, he suggests paying his debt by leading them to the fabled city of Luz, where no one ever dies—the one place Pesah will be safe.

They just need to run faster than The Angel of Death can fly…

 

Review

Pasternack shows how Ziva’s love of justice drives her, while depicting a world in which spirits are manifest, healers come in many forms, and a bold girl can literally bargain with the Angel of Death. Tenderly rendering Ziva’s feelings of responsibility—including around Pesah’s physical care and amputating his infected fingers and toes—Pasternack imagines a rich, omen-filled journey that powerfully shows love and its limits. — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Pasternack’s story is rich in the rhythms, values, and deep magic of Jewish culture and life in the Turkic Jewish empire of Khazaria. It revels in an often overlooked mythology, deploying exciting fantasy elements with ease. More than simply an adventure, this is a story about grief and illness and arguing with the rules of the world, enduring and enjoying the living that happens between now and the end, threaded through with the profound, unshakeable love of two brave siblings. Propulsive, wise, and heartbreaking. — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Pasternak’s historical fantasy weaves Jewish mythology and traditions into this heroine’s journey that asks readers to contemplate issues of life and death. Readers will be intrigued by the ravens that follow Pesah everywhere, the details of the city of Luz (where no one dies), and Pesah’s vision that the Angel of Death will visit him on Rosh Hashanah. This works as an adventure, but it should also prompt discussions about the ethics of preserving life at all costs.  — Kay Weisman — Booklist (starred review)

Set in Khazaria, a medieval empire of the Eurasian steppes, this moving tale steeped in Jewish lore is a welcome addition to middle grade fantasy shelves. Ziva is a fierce, appealing heroine, driven by her deep love for her brother, a profound sense of justice, and an unwillingness to accept the status quo—qualities that serve her well but sometimes keep her from seeing those around her clearly. An omniscient narrator addresses the reader in interludes that lend the text a mythic feel, while the main narrative is a rousing adventure and coming of age story inflected by Ziva’s internal struggles. — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)

Pasternack (Anya and the Dragon) writes with a storyteller’s cadence without sacrificing liveliness, keeping emotions front and center (“She’d jab the Angel of Death in every single one of its eyeballs if that meant keeping Pesah safe”).  – SHOSHANA FLAX www.hbook.com — Horn Book Magazine

 

Thanks so much for joining us today at the Mixed-Up Files, Sofiya!

Booklist said of your book, “Pasternack’s historical fantasy weaves Jewish mythology and traditions into this heroine’s journey that asks readers to contemplate issues of life and death.” You weave these topics so skillfully together. Can you tell us more about why you chose to write about these topics? 

 

Well, I write historical fantasy because it’s fun! History is full of amazing stories all over the place, and as a lifelong fantasy enthusiast, including some magic makes really fascinating history just a little more amazing. I write Jewish mythology because it’s not terribly common and I want to see more of it; sometimes, I’ll see a Jewish story that’s had all the Jewishness taken out of it (Corpse Bride is one that comes to mind!), and I aim to put the Jewishness back in. As for why I wanted to write about life and death, it was a way of processing not only the cycle of life and death that I saw at the hospital every day (as an ICU nurse), but also my own dad’s death. Death is a difficult topic, and I think the more stories we have about the topic, the better able we’ll be to face it when it shows up in our lives.

 

You often set your books in these wonderful, vivid and mythical settings. Why? 

 

I like settings that are mostly like the regular world, but if you pay attention, they’re not. I’ve been to incredible places that are totally real (I’m pretty sure, anyway), but are also so magical that if an elf or a sheyd or a wizard showed up, you wouldn’t really be that surprised. Recreating these in fiction is a great challenge: can I approximate the feeling of the fog racing me down the street on the Pacific Coast? Or watching the sun rise over the High Atlas Mountains? Or squeezing through the Roman aquifers under Naples? I sure hope so.

 

This book depicts a strong and supportive relationship between siblings. It seems as if family plays a big part in all of your books. Is there a significance to that? 

 

Generally, I write a family I wish I’d had. Ziva’s family is a little bit different, because a large part of her growth was that she needed to challenge her preconceived snap judgements about people—including her own family. She made some assumptions about her family members, and then was forced to reconsider them. She also needed to consider that people are rarely all bad or all good. I hope to explore all kinds of families in my stories, from Anya’s supportive and close-knit family, to Ziva’s family fractured by terminal illness, to someone’s future family that looks like something entirely different.

 

Your books all have a wonderful world-building aspect to them. What drew you to this world in particular? 

 

The Byzantine Empire was something I didn’t pay much attention to when I learned about it in middle school, but as I grew up and started to appreciate history a little bit more, that time period and place got more and more interesting. The Byzantines are well covered though, so I kind of directed my attention elsewhere for inspiration. The Empire of Khazaria is fascinating because it was and remains mysterious, and is fabled to have been an empire of (some? mostly? all?) Jewish converts. An ancient empire of once-nomads on the wide steppe around the Caspian Sea? The world erupts to life all around me!

 

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers (of all ages)? 

 

It seems cliché, and I’m sure you’ve all heard it before: keep writing. Keep creating. Keep imagining. Sometimes it feels like you’re screaming (writing?) into the void, but every line written makes the next one better, and if you want to read a certain story, it’s basically guaranteed that a whole ton of other people want to read it too. Don’t give up!

 

What are you working on next? 

 

I have a whole bunch of projects lined up! One is about Maria Hebraea, the first alchemist. Another is set during the year 536 CE, which was called “the worst year” by historians because a huge volcanic eruption blocked out the sun for a year and a half! There are a couple more, but for sure there will be more history, more fantasy, and more Jewish magic from me!

 

 

STEM Tuesday gift recommendation– Buy STEM/STEAM books for the holidays!

 

Happy Holidays!!

It’s that time of year where people scramble to find gifts. We, at STEM Tuesday, recommend you give the gift of CURIOSITY. DISCOVERY. ADVENTURE… Buy a STEM/STEAM book for someone! Not only will you be opening a child’s eyes to the wonder of the world around them, you’ll also be supporting a STEM author, too. 

But what topic? And where do I find a great book? While your first thought might be to look at award lists (which also start to come out this time of year),  we recommend that you look further than that. The award books are great, but there are also plenty of other STEM/STEAM books out there that don’t win awards. So look widely and take a gander at our monthly book lists. They are chock-full of great titles!

author christine Taylor-butler

Our own Christine Taylor-Butler did a post on where to find great STEM books and how to support STEM authors last year. Since it’s very pertinent to today, I’m re-posting it here. (Thanks, Christine!)

Over the past two years authors I interviewed for STEM Tuesday have taught me about spider silk made from genetically modified goats, women who were denied a spot in the astronaut program despite performing better than their male counterparts, and implicit bias in archeology that may skew what we know about ancient civilizations. One author/illustrator judged an MIT contest showcasing implausible scientific ideas. Another learned to dive with a photographer in order to better understand the nature of ocean conservation. And while the world knows about the women showcased in Hidden Figures, one author published a book about fifty additional African American women whose STEM contributions changed the world.

If I were to ask you to name the above authors, would you be able to do it without looking at my interviews? That’s my concern in a nutshell. A select few of these authors have been recognized with awards, but most have not. Nonfiction is a staple for helping young readers develop executive functioning and learn more about the world around them, but the authors are not often celebrated in proportion to their contributions to children’s literature. Even with awards, most authors are still struggling to become household names let alone achieve financial stability.

Writing STEM is hard. The research often rivals an academic research paper. Many of us write for magazines, textbooks, trade publishers and educational publishers. What is often true is that authors need to log a lot of hours in the library, speaking to experts and researching in the field to determine how to best present the subject matter in a way a student can understand. In a sense, we have to do a deep dive to understand the material before we can explain it coherently to someone else. Unique to children’s publishing there are additional rules to follow. There’s an art to working within those constraints. I’ve been asked to do planet books of 4,000 words for upper elementary students and recast those same facts for a beginner readers using only 300 words. It’s not just the word count but the choice of words. For instance, with younger students we have to be mindful about sentence length, how many multisyllabic words in a sentence, and words common for that reading level and Lexile range.

After the books are printed and in circulation, awards are tricky. For every author that receives recognition, there are many equally skilled authors that don’t. And remember, the industry celebrates winners, not runners up. A different committee, on a different day, might have picked a different book entirely from the same pile. I know, because I’ve been on a number of awards committees. There are epic battles and painstaking discussions before a consensus is reached.  I’ve also noticed that the attention paid to award winning fiction authors is sustained much longer than for nonfiction authors. Those awards often translate into more work for fiction authors and higher compensation but not necessarily for their nonfiction counterparts.

I’ve been luckier than most of my peers in this respect. I’ve published more than 90 books for children and have more under contract. So I wanted to raise my voice to challenge the readers of this blog to change the nature of the game. The industry pays attention to where the money is flowing. Publishing pays attention to social media chatter and reviews. You can help my STEM peers by doing the following.

Once a month:

  1. Check out a book (or two) from the library. If you need a place to start, we have great recommendations on our STEM Tuesday site. Books that are checked out stay in circulation longer.
  2. If you’re in a school district, consider adding a book to the school library or classroom. I know budgets are small, but even one book is a boon for that author.
  3. Write a review. It only takes five minutes. Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble.
  4. Give a shout out to an author whose work you admire. Try to pick someone who isn’t getting a lot of marketing support from publishers. The ones the awards committees didn’t announce. I’m all for boosting underdogs. That shout-out will make an author’s day.
  5. Buy a STEM book as a gift for the holidays! 

 

Win a FREE copy of the book of your choice from me, Jennifer Swanson.

It’s the holiday season so let’s do something positive to end 2022.

This month, instead of us telling you what we found fascinating…this time you tell us.

What nonfiction book have you loved?

What’s next on your wish list?

Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below.

The randomly-chosen winner will be contacted via email and asked to provide a mailing address (within the U.S. only) to receive the book.

Good luck!

 

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Jennifer Swanson, author
Jennifer Swanson dreams of one day running away to the Museum of Science and Industry- then maybe she could look at all the exhibits and try out all the gadgets without competing for them with her kids. An author of fifty nonfiction science books for kids, Jennifer’s goal is to show kids that Science Rocks! She lives in sunny Florida with her husband and Great Pyrenees dog, Sasha. When not writing she’s on the hunt for fun science facts. www.jenniferswansonbooks.com