Monday, March 7, 2016

Driftwood

A personal favorite!!

It never stops being thrilling - seeing a new book for the first time. I'm especially excited about this one - it's the first time I've written a novel that has stories within the main story. Loved my main character -- loved all the characters, actually, and the way everything came together.

About the story:

Adam's summer is off to a disappointing start. His so-called "best friend" has bailed on him, choosing to stay behind to care for a sick dog, instead of joining Adam and his family at the seaside campground as planned. Adam is furious with Billy for abandoning him, impatient with his mother for her artistic obsessions, and embarrassed by his dad's lame attempts at being funny. At least an ever-changing cast of new summer friends proves to be an entertaining distraction: Joey, the shoe-thief with the cute sister; the mischievous Linden twins; enigmatic Nevin; and Ethan, the adventurer. But it is Theo, the blind gentleman up on the hill, with his magical stories of driftwood, who helps Adam to see the true nature of friendship.

A middle grade novel.

Updates for Driftwood

Shortlisted for the Canadian Library Association 2014 Book of the Year for Children

Shortlisted for the 2015 Rocky Mountain Book Award

Shortlisted for the 2016 Hackmatack Award

3 comments:

Colleen Power said...

Amazing talent and blog!
So proud that more and more readers get the joy of reading your books!

Anonymous said...

I read Driftwood over the weekend, and loved it.

Anonymous said...

Dear Valerie Sherrard,

The children at Hillhurst are doing the RMBA vote in the spring time, we are also going to do three assignments and this is our first. Hillhurst School has been doing the RMBA for many years. Year after year Hillhurst orders all the nominees’ books for the kids to read. After about a month or so the kids do the assignments and vote.

I really enjoyed the parts when Theo tells stories because all the stories are very meaningful. The stories are meaningful to me because all the stories give a lesson. I really like the one about the giant lychee and the Chinese farmer. I also liked the one with the little girl, the fish and the golden coins.

To end this letter off I have a few questions for you. (A) Which authors inspired you to become an author? (B) What is your favorite genre to write about? (C) Where do your ideas come from? Please answer these questions in your returning letter.

Yours truly,

Alice
amwatkins@cbe.ab.ca