I just got back from my first-ever official book tour (see my publisher’s blog here for details: http://feiwelandfriends.typepad.com/feiwel_and_friends/2008/05/jordan-and-dodg.html ).

While I was gone, DODGER got a rave review in the Kirkus ALA/BEA Big Book Guide:

“Dodger and Me is a love letter to my late father, my dear

son and our almost sacred love of baseball,” says Jordan

Sonnenblick. The book is also a magical tale of affection,

family and a boy’s imaginative (imaginary doesn’t do it justice)

friendship with an inspired, demented blue chimpanzee,

Dodger. Willie has a few wishes, a couple ill-considered:

That that girl Lizzie would leave him alone, that his

mother would trust him with his own safety and that he

would be a baseball star. “I can relate,” says Sonnenblick,

“not to the chimp part, but to baseball and the desperate

wish to succeed on the field. I was a miserable little leaguer;

I just could…not…hit…a…fastball.” Dodger has

lots of smart patter and perhaps a few wishes to grant. With

cool style and throat-tightening panache, Sonnenblick

sends a screamer Willie’s way.

Thanks, Kirkus!

Also, I just got the details of my first-ever official multi-city book tour:

http://us.macmillan.com/Tour.aspx?id=84&publisher=feiwelfriends

Please come and visit if you live in Seattle, Portland, Denver, or Chicago, OK?

I am really, really excited about these books — now I can’t wait for the first one to come out so I can start telling everyone in the world about the second one.

In other news, I’m currently doing heavy research for my next young adult novel for Scholastic Press. I can’t spill any beans about the plot, the title, or anything. However, I will tell you that the research for this book has entailed interviews with a child-abuse expert, a criminal-defense lawyer, and a gravedigger.

Hmmm . . . I think I’m getting mysterious in my old age!

Oh, one last thing.  The Italian translation of NOTES FROM THE MIDNIGHT DRIVER recently won a big children’s literature award there: The Premio Cento.  AND there was a cash prize in Euros, which means a family trip to Europe is in my future.  The Italian version’s title is UNA CHITARRA PER DUE (A Guitar for Two).  Cool, huh?  The translator, Roberta Magnaghi, was awesome.  She contacted me several times during the process to ask me subtle questions about my intent.  Her hard work really helped me out, obviously — mille grazie, Roberta!!!