The Newbery!

“The movement of the train rocked me like a lullaby.” These are Abilene Tucker’s thoughts as she travels to Manifest: a town with a rich past and a bright future.

I read these words on a sunny day, a happy day.  Feet up, I sat outside, turning the pages, making excuses to myself for not pulling the weeds that waved their heads at me, for not working on my own book. And cooking? Forget cooking.

Who could work, when right in my hands were the doings of Shady Howard, the bootlegger, Mr. Underhill, the undertaker, and that spy called Rattler! Who could work when Abilene was wending her way into my heart, and refusing to leave!

 I congratulate Clare Vanderpool on her exquisite MOON OVER MANIFEST.  I heard the Newbery announcement with tears in my eyes: I love the book, I admire the writer.

If you haven’t read MOON OVER MANIFEST yet, what a lovely experience you can anticipate.

So, hurry up, Clare, we want to read more of your work!