I’m visiting beautiful Minneapolis and St. Paul in the next few days. If you’d like to say hello, I’ll be doing a book signing at Auntie Em’s Bookstore on Saturday April 19 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Hope to see you there!

Just a reminder that on Monday April 14, at 2:00 p.m., I’ll be appearing with fellow author Karen L. Day at the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library. Hope to see you there!

Fellow Class of 2k7 member Eric Luper emailed me the other day. He had read a blurb about No Castles Here in the recent on-line Rutgers Alumni newsletter in their “Off the Shelf” column. I liked the blurb, but what tickled me was finding out that we are both alumni of Rutgers College. And, as it turns out, so is 2k7er Sarah Aronson!

Go Rutgers!

Children librarian and blogger of A Patchwork of Books has given No Castles Here a fabulous review. She starts off:

What a gem this book is! It isn’t often that I come across a book that I truly love from the first page, but this was, indeed, one of them. First time author A.C.E. Bauer has written a novel that will capture the attention of both boys and girls (and obviously adults).

Stating that it is “easily one of [her] favorites that [she’s] read this year,” she bemoans that she’s too late for the Cybil Awards. But, she adds:

As long as some of you read it now, I won’t be disappointed!

Thank you Amanda!!

You can read the full review here.

In writing No Castles Here, I tried to portray how a target of bullies might respond to the daily assault and intimidation bullies inflict. There’s nothing glamorous about it — being a target is painful and destructive. Finding the respect of one’s peers can be one of the hardest things for a child, and sometimes it’s impossible. I gave Augie, my main character, strong anchors in the story. These were both people and situations that helped him find his way out of the bullying he was suffering. Not every child is so fortunate.

C.J. Bott, a retired teacher and now consultant, created a website called Bulliesinbooks.com. Her goal is to use children’s and YA literature to start a discussion about bullying, and she has compiled a list of books for that starting point. I am proud that NCH was added to her list.

The paperback edition of No Castles Here is scheduled to come out March 10, 2009 — yup, in a little more than a year. But they’ve already decided on a cover:

I like that they tried to make the cover look like a book cover — with pages and a spine. And that Augie is trying to escape from one reality into another — very cool.

I’m excited!