School Library Journal, Starred Review

Providence, RI, is the rundown hometown of John Smith, Jr., 13, nicknamed Houdini by his friends Lucky and Jorge. Hoping to make some money, Houdini undertakes writing an “authentic” kid’s book about life in the neighborhood, featuring his buddies; his hardworking parents; and his admired older brother, Franklin, a Marine [...]

Not surprisingly, there’s been interest in my forthcoming novel, The Amazing Adventures of John Smith Jr. aka Houdini, because of how it treats bullying. Any interest in one’s novel for any reason is appreciated but sometimes people think that you write a book to make a statement, for example that we should’ve left Iraq earlier, (a topic [...]

My local teen librarian, Bri Johnson, directed me to an article written by well-known YA author, Robert Lipsyte. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/books/review/boys-and-reading-is-there-any-hope.html?scp=1&sq=Boys%20and%20Reading:%20Is%20There%20Any%20Hope?&st=cse)
Like me, Lipsyte thinks we aren’t challenging boys, and that they’re not being exposed to good books. He also sees a discrepancy between what boys may want to read and what they are made or [...]