Silent Echoes

photo by Erika Silverstein Carla Jablonski is the author and editor of dozens of best-selling books for middle-grade and young adult readers. "I kind of do it all -- adaptations, branching books (Choose Your Own Adventure style), serious novels for teenagers, fantasy, and now, graphic novels." Her most recent book, Resistance, the first of a graphic novel trilogy (illustrated by Leland Purvis) is A SYDNEY TAYLOR SILVER MEDAL winner. Book 2 in the series, Defiance, will be available in July. Two of her books for teens, Thicker than Water and Silent Echoes, were selected for the prestigious NYPL "Books for the Teen Age" list. She is the author of the six-book series, The Books of Magic, based on Neil Gaiman's comic classic of the same name.  Her books are sold in many countries, and she always gets a kick seeing her titles in other languages. "My favorite is the Thai version of Books of Magic," she says. "The alphabet is so beautiful, and I find it funny that my own words are completely unrecognizable to me!" In addition to writing and editing books for YA readers, she is at work on several books for adults, and is also an actress, a playwright and a trapeze performer. These pursuits have allowed her to do a lot of traveling, particularly to Scotland, and she's met many wonderful and amazing people. "The trapeze thing is definitely what surprises most people -- even people who know me, and especially myself!" To read more about Carla, click here. NEWS! NEWS! NEWS! MAY 25, 2011 Thank you to the Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn for the wonderful evening discussing RESISTANCE with your Young Readers Book Group! I look forward to coming back to talk about Defiance! JAN. 10, 2011 RESISTANCE is a Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner!  I couldn't be more thrilled. Not only was this my first graphic novel (the first in a trilogy about the French Resistance) but there is no separate graphic novel category. It was selected from all the other books in its age group. January 12, 2011 RESISTANCE was just selected for the ALA GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR TEENS list! Book 1 The reviews are in -- and they're great! From Booklist *Starred Review* The first of a trilogy, this stirring graphic novel set in 1940 in the French countryside authentically expresses the personal standoffs and immediate drama of children who are drawn into the Resistance when German soldiers occupy their village. Paul and his younger sister, Marie, fume at each other even as they help hide their Jewish friend, Henri, after his parents disappear. Their own father is being held by the Germans, and the confusion about who is on which side is always present—that is part of the wartime horror. Resistance fighters, brave as they are, can be petty and vindictive, and so can those they assist. “What took you so long?” a fugitive asks his rescuer, who snaps back, “Sorry for the inconvenience; I thought I should keep you alive.” Along with the suspenseful rescues and spy-story elements (including a library book with marked words that deliver secret messages), readers will be held by the realistic characterizations and grim events, all fleshed out in Purvis’ quavery artwork, which is especially adept at conveying the young characters’ wrenching emotions. In the end, the villagers witness the deportations as packed trains pass by, and Henri realizes, “This is just the beginning.” An excellent addition to the Holocaust curriculum, especially with the author’s lengthy afterword, which offers additional context and also argues that history too often makes everything black and white. Grades 7-10. --Hazel Rochman For interviews, signings or other appearances, please contact: Gina Gagliano First Second Books Gina.Gagliano@macmillan.com I love hearing from my readers! Write me at reader@carlajablonski.com Other books by Carla Jablonski See all of Carla's books on Amazon.com