THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z.
By Kate Messner
Walker, 2009
Category: Middle Grade Fiction
When my kids are grown, I think one of the things they will remember most about childhood is curling up together on the couch to read. One of the things I will remember most is reading them books written by my friend Kate.
When we four finished reading Kate’s first novel, SPITFIRE, my kids asked, “A girl wrote this?”
Three years later, when we finished reading Kate’s third novel, THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, they asked, “The same girl wrote this?
Yes, Kate Messner does it all: action-packed historical fiction, emotionally charged contemporary fiction, evocative picture books (trust me on this … they are coming soon!). THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z gave my kids a great sense of the breadth of ground a single writer can cover … and more proof that girl writers rock. All that, and a great read, too. Thank you, Kate, and happy book release day to you!
Here’s some flap copy enticement:
Gianna Zales is a star runner with one more hurdle to jump before she goes to cross-country sectionals – a monster leaf collection project. To get it done, she’ll have to survive a rival who desperately wants to take her place at sectionals, a grandmother who leaves her false teeth in the refrigerator, and a best friend whose feelings about her are changing like the leaves. Gianna Z needs a stroke of brilliance to make it work!
And here’s a link to a fantabulous review over at Kelly Fineman’s Writing and Ruminating blog.
Need more? Visit Kate’s website, or her recent blog post, for information on THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z and upcoming signing events. Oh, and don’t miss this book trailer; it is star-studded and super-fun: