Class of 2k7, Class of 2k8, and Class of 2k9 are trademarks of Greg R. Fishbone, used with permission. The Class of 2k7 logo was designed by Ruth McNally Barshaw, used with permission. The Class of 2k8 logo was designed by Ruth McNally Barshaw and Kristin Tubb, used with permission. All web and print materials are copyright by their individual authors, where identifiable, or by the Class of 2k8 as a collective.
News & Events
Events Calendar
A Difficult Boy is available now! Check your local bookstore--if they don't have it in stock, they will order it for you.
Thursday, 24 Jul 2008, 3:30 p.m.
Book group for readers 9-15 years old (registration required)
Merriam-Gilbert Public Library
3 West Main Street
West Brookfield, MA
Participants will receive copies of the book at registration.
Bring your book to the discussion to be autographed!
Sponsor: West Brookfield Local Cultural Council
Online Registration: www.wbrookfieldlibrary.org
For information call 508-867-1410
Monday, 4 Aug 2008, 9-3:30 pm
Opening Fair Exhibit
Massachusetts Teachers Association Conference (registration required)
Herbert Towne Field House
Williams College
Latham Street
Williamstown, MA
For information call Jacqueline Hirtle—1-800-392-6175 ext 8304
Saturday, 16 Aug 2008 12-5 pm
Local Author Showcase
Borders Books
476 Boston Turnpike
Shrewsbury, MA 01545
Phone: 508-845-8665
Saturday, 23 Aug 2008 noon-3 pm
Book signing
Waldenbooks
Eastfield Mall
1655 Boston Road
Springfield, MA 01129
(413) 543-8611
Saturday, 18 Oct 2008 2 pm
Class of 2k8 event
Barnes & Noble Booksellers
541 D Lincoln Street
Worcester, MA 01605
tel: (508) 853-2236
fax: (508) 853-9527
crm2172@bn.com
Want to set up an event?
I'd be delighted to do book signings, presentations, or workshops for your book club, class, library, organization, or special event. Looking for a multi-author event? I can arrange that, too, with colleagues from the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the National Writers Union, or the Class of 2k8.
For information on booking an author appearance or to request a review copy, see the Holiday House Web page.
Press reviews:
"The beautifully written book, set in 1839, is loaded with rich detail, both historical and sensorial..."
--Susan VanHecke, Authorlink.com (June 2008)
"...Barker's young adult novel is one of the best historical fiction works I've read in a long time, emotionally authentic, full of period detail, and beautifully written."
--Author and reviewer Susan VanHecke's blog, "Adventures in Authorhood"
"Barker’s gift for historical detail illuminates this absorbing first novel, accurately portraying the pleasures and the harsh realities of 19th-century Massachusetts farm life. From describing exactly how to milk a treacherous cow to the precise way a servant ties and knots her shawl over a dress that is 'the color of an overdone Indian pudding,' the author adds authenticity to her well-constructed story...Readers will like this book for its attention to heady issues like early prejudice against the Irish (Daniel is Irish) and the treatment of indentured servants as young as themselves, and for its satisfying and hopeful conclusion."
--Publisher's Weekly (28 Apr 2008)
"What was the life of an indentured servant but that of a slave? M.P. Barker brings it ringingly, cringingly to life...A Difficult Boy hinges on the efforts of two boys—one social, one circumstantially remote, soon to be friends—to escape their brutalized existence... Then there is Ivy, a horse that bonds the boys
and provides their ticket out."
--Kirkus Reviews, First Fiction Special Issue (15 Apr 2008, p. 17)
"How Ethan and Daniel bolster each other and escape Mr. Lyman's tyranny makes for a memorable tale of friendship and a fascinating glimpse into mid-19th-century Massachusetts. Like L. M. Elliott's Give Me Liberty (HarperCollins, 2006), this is an eye-opening look at indentured servitude in American history."
--Kim Dare, Fairfax County Public Schools, VA, School Library Journal (1 May 2008)
Reviews from teen readers:
"Most of all this book is about friendship and the importance of friendship. It is just a beautiful story set to a beautiful background...Daniel and Ethan's relationship grows and evolves as the story goes on.
"My favorite aspect of the book is how real it feels. The racism Daniel gets. The hardships Ethan goes through. Their friendship even all feels very real..........and that's why I love this book. I read it within 24 hours and I couldn't put it down. At about Chapter 6 you will be hooked! I recommend this for all historical readers as well as those looking for a wonderful story about friendship." --Trainspotting Reads Teen Book Reviews
News!
19-25 May 2008: M.P. Barker featured as "Rising Star" on Red Room
New books for April: Some great new books will be joining A Difficult Boy as April babies. Check out my Class of 2k8 page for more information--and watch for April 2k8 book trailers coming soon! Also, Massachusetts writer Michelle D. Kwasney has a new middle-grade novel, Itch, coming out in April. Check out her trailer below:
Mar 2008:Lots of good book news this month. Western Massachusetts author Suzanne Strempek Shea's new book, Sundays in America: A Yearlong Road Trip in Search of Christian Faith hits bookstores this month. Suzanne chronicles a year spent visiting just about every kind of Sunday service you can imagine, from mainstream Protestant services to spiritualist meetings and Shaker services, trying to explore the many facets of Christian worship in this country.
In The Gollywhopper Games, young Gil Goodson hopes to redeem his family's good name after his dad was falsely accused of embezzling from the Golly Toy Company. If Gil wins the Gollywhopper Games, he'll show the world that Goodsons aren't cheaters, and will win enough money to help his family make a new start far away from the cloud of scandal hanging over them. Gil's an engaging young hero with a quick wit, a friendly personality, and a tenacious determination to make good. Readers can solve the Gollywhopper Game puzzles along with Gil--they're challenging enough to be fun, but not so difficult that you feel like putting your eye out with your pencil. Great for puzzle-lovers, punsters, and fans of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory--and for you adult readers, the writing and characterization are MILES ahead of that recent best-selling puzzle book The DaVinci Code!
A Curse Dark as Gold is a fascinating re-telling of the Rumplestiltskin fairy tale. Young Charlotte Miller struggles to keep her family's woolen mill running after the death of her father. Charlotte is a practical young woman. She doesn’t believe in curses or magic until a series of weird and inexplicable disasters force her to rely on a mysterious little man who can spin straw into gold. All her instincts tell her to turn him away, but Charlotte feels responsible for the townspeople who depend on the mill for their livelihood. It's not just her own income at stake; Charlotte won't relegate her neighbors and friends to poverty. Meanwhile, she has to contend with an uncle who seems bound and determined to bankrupt her. Everything comes to a head when Charlotte realizes that to save her mill, her friends, her family, and her infant son, she must figure out how to right an ancient wrong. When the story's villain’s secrets are finally revealed, their heartbreaking stories make them as sympathetic as the main characters. A great read, but keep a box of kleenex handy!
Find out more at the Class of 2k8 web site, or on our Class of 2k8 blog.
14 Jan 2008: The Class of 2k8's second launch is on its way. Lisa Schroeder's debut novel, I Heart You, You Haunt Me (from Simon Pulse Books) hits the shelves this month. Lisa's poignant novel in verse got a 5 star review for YA Books Central! Check out this excerpt at the Class of 2k8 website. Or go to Lisa's web page for more details. Lisa will be featured next week on the Class of 2k8 blog.
7 Jan 2008: Big things are in store for Liz Gallagher, the Class of 2k8's first baby to be officially launched. Her debut novel, The Opposite of Invisible (from Wendy Lamb Books) hits the shelves today. Way to go, Liz!!! Liz's book follows a Seattle teenager as she wrestles with the difference between a crush and love, and love and best friendship--I can't wait for my copy. Check out this excerpt at the Class of 2k8 website. Or go to Liz's web page for more details. Liz will be featured all week on the Class of 2k8 blog, letting us know how it feels to be a first-time author with her dream come true.
2 Jan 2008: Ron Hogan, editor of the Galley Cat blog (“The first word on the book publishing industry”) at Media Bistro, gives the Class of 2k8 a thumb’s up and gives a brief nod to A Difficult Boy.
1 Jan 2008: The Class of 2k8's web site is alive and kicking! Check it out!
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