Muffled
Simon & Schuster
ISBN 978-1534463653 |
Amelia does not like noise. In fifth grade, she has to learn to play an instrument or, as she sees it, make noise on purpose. To help Amelia cope, her father gives her a pair of earmuffs to wear. With the help of an unlikely friend she makes in trombone class, Amelia learns to cope with her sound sensitivity and to step outside of her comfort zone.
Praise
"[Author] Gennari effectively works Amelia’s experience onto nearly every page, making each of her hard-won victories resonate powerfully." — Publishers Weekly "Middle grade GOLD. I inhaled this story in one sitting and ached the entire time for highly sensitive 5th grader Amelia and the world’s inability to try to understand her needs." — Kate Olson, Library Director, School District of La Crosse, WI "Amelia's voice rings as clear and true as a song. Readers will root for her as she finds friends and music in her own way. A thoughtful, rewarding middle grade story." — Beth Turley, author of If This Were a Story and The Last Tree Town “A sweet book that packs a quiet punch. Readers will feel for quiet Amelia as she fights to find her place in a noisy world.” — Gennifer Choldenko, Newbery-Honor winning author of Al Capone Does My Shirts and Orphan Eleven
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My mixed-up berry blue summer
Houghton Mifflin Books
for Children ISBN: 978-0547577395 |
Twelve-year-old June is sure of one thing—she’s great at making pies and she plans to prove it by winning a blue ribbon in the Champlain Valley Fair pie competition. But one summer in Vermont, when her mom decides to marry her partner, June needs not only the best wild blueberries but also a slice of courage.
Awards
Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year 2013 2013 Rainbow List selection by the American Library Association 2012 New Voices selection by the Association of Booksellers for Children Praise
"This strong, vibrant novel looks at a complicated issue without didacticism or platitudes, but with the level of complexity it deserves, staying true to the heart of the protagonist." — School Library Journal "A realistic account of a family coming together under stress." — Publishers Weekly "This title is a much-needed addition to the world of LGBT literature for young readers, given the relative scarcity of pre-YA novels about kids dealing with gay parents." — Bulletin “My Mixed-Up Berry Blue Summer is like its protagonist, full to bursting with sweetness and summer light. . .When things begin to look bleak and scary, you just know June has the grit and sunshine to pull through." — Tim Wynne-Jones, award-winning author |
Selected poetry
“Schoolgirl Doing Homework,”
oil on canvas Albert Anker, 1879 |
Not Homework
I want to be president she says unprompted. Her unfinished writing task lies on the table between us. How many bedrooms are in the White House? Read the full poem on The Lascaux Review (2018). |