Deb Marshall, one of our Round 1 judges in Middle Grade Fiction, is today's featured blogger. As for her area of expertise, her blog name says it all: Just Deb: Reading and Writing for Children and Teens. She's a 25-year veteran of public library youth services as well as a professional storyteller in Alberta, Canada. Fun fact: she's got some great resources and posts for those interested in MG/YA from Canada.
Recently she posted about Middle Grade Fiction finalist The Adventures of Beanboy by Lisa Harkrader. How can you resist a book whose jacket copy begins with "Never underestimate the power of the bean"? It's a charming story about a kid who draws comics and his superhero character Beanboy. In her review, Deb describes the main character, Tucker MacBean:
Not
only is he on a quest to create the best superhero sidekick in order to
win a contest, he's also on a quest to find the hero's heart within
himself. The hero's heart that will allow him to stand up for himself
and what he wants…
Click here for the full review.