Saturday, December 28, 2013

One of my favorite reviews!

This is an excerpt from one of my very favorite reviews of 2013, published in the Christian Science Monitor, written by reviewer and author Augusta Scattergood.  I love it because I think it captures BEHOLDING BEE so well.
"Yes, I'd heard the early buzz. Readers whose taste mimicked mine loved it.  I was attracted to the appealing cover art, the heft of the book, the fresh voice of the narrator. And it began with a surprising concept. After the death of her parents when she was quite young, 12-year-old Bee is in the care of her friend Pauline. Together, they work at a traveling carnival. Although Bee's birthmark causes her to constantly cover her face and look away, Pauline offers encouragement, telling her it is a diamond. Such a unique setting! So many oddball, intriguing characters, and Bee certainly seemed like a girl to root for....
"Sometimes you can only take so many goodbyes in life," Bee observes as she sets Cordelia free. The pig, the girl, and her funny-looking dog take off to an unknown destination, the animals taking the lead. Bee follows without much enthusiasm. After all, it's "hard to get excited about running when you cannot see the finish line."
Finish line? A pet pig and a rescued dog? Those aunts? I couldn't put the book down. Bee had stolen my heart. I worried she'd never find a home. When she did and she slept in her first real bed, I loved her bravery and her friendships. The disappearing aunts were such a surprising and funny touch. The strange, outdated clothes, the candles, and the neighbors turn the novel into a mystery. Worry about food rationing and soldiers fighting in World War II move it soundly into the realm of historical fiction.
Historical, mysterious, fantasy? In the end, none of this will matter to young readers. All they need to know is that Kimberly Newton Fusco's newest book is a really terrific, hopeful story. Yes, the year is young, but this could be my favorite middle-grade novel of 2013."

Augusta Scattergood regularly reviews children's books for the Monitor.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Bee in Canada!


 http://thereisabookforthat.com/2013/12/27/favourites-of-2013/

Thank you to Carrie Gelson, an inner-city school teacher in Vancouver, for her blog that names BEHOLDING BEE one of her favorite books of the year!

THERE'S A BOOK FOR THAT!

Saturday, December 21, 2013

My Editor's Review

My wonderful editor, Michelle Frey, at Knopf/Random House, wrote a lovely review of my second novel, THE WONDER OF CHARLIE ANNE.  Her thoughts were featured recently in the Random House blog, called Random Acts of Reading.

Thank you, Michelle!

Here it is:

"Kimberly Newton Fusco is a luminous writer. Her books make young readers feel both the pain in the world and the beauty—and show them the healing power of friendship.  THE WONDER OF CHARLIE ANNE is the tender, generous story of an interracial friendship between two young girls during the Depression.  It was acclaimed by many reviewers, and I love these lines from a starred review in Kirkus that capture its spirit: ”Good humor, kindness and courage triumph in this warm, richly nuanced novel that cheers the heart like a song sweetly sung.”  I know kids would respond to this gem of a book, if it could find its way into their hands.  And because Kim’s writing is spare and lyrical, it goes down fast and can reach a broad audience of both confident and more reluctant readers."  -Michelle Frey, Executive Editor,  Knopf Books for Young Readers.

http://randomactsofreading.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/our-editors-share-some-of-their-favorite-books/



Sunday, December 8, 2013

Bee's many travels....

CHILD MAGAZINE of South Africa recommends THE DARING ESCAPE OF BEATRICE and PEABODY (BEHOLDING BEE in the US) as one of its top picks for holiday gift giving.

Thanks to British publisher Faber and Faber, Ltd, Bee is going to places I've only dreamed of!

http://www.childmag.co.za/content/great-reads-teenagers#.UqDFS9JDuSo