My newest book, a middle-grade version of the rescue story of the W.F. Marshall off the coast of Nantucket in 1877, is set to come out in June. It is full of little details that were not in my early picture book on Marshall. Learn what happened to Marshall, the Newfoundland, after he was shipwrecked. Discover more about the ship’s homeport in New Brunswick. And find out who saved Marshall and his crew. There’s even a funny story about the youngest member on the ship. Find out more…

Check out the cool cover and order now:

http://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Sea-Dog-Nantucket-shipwreck/dp/1607271834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1267744477&sr=1-1

There will also be a film version of the story.

The call us New Dats—those of us who hated football until we figured out it was more than just a long game with lots of TV ads. Now I am a t-shirt wearing, fleur-de-lis pinned, Who Dat Nation citizen and true-blue Saints fan.

I am all about Who Dats and New Dats!

The fog covers the sea. The cold wind hits you in the face like splintered ice. And your ship hits sand and grinds to a halt. The masts groan with the strain. Water swamps the deck, threatening to wash your sailors overboard. Slowly your ship heaves sideways, and you and your thirteen crew members are at risk of freezing to death if nobody sees the wreck.

And it’’s 1877. You have no radio or cell phone. No Coast Guard helicopter fly overhead and send down a ladder. The water is too rough and you are too far out to swim to shore. And you have a woman, a baby, and an enormous Newfoundland dog below deck.

What do you do?

I have received some great emails from my readers in the past month and hope to hear from more of you.

Tell me what book of mine you liked (or didn”t like) and tell me why.

I live in New Orleans and talk to kids here all the time, but what about you kids in California, Vermont, Florida, and Ohio.

What do you have to say?

Hi folks,

I am buzzing with new book ideas but would like to hear yours. What are you dying to read? Librarians and teachers, what books do you need in your classrooms?

I am heading off to Hawaii soon and want to take your thoughts with me. Send me your ideas through a blog comment or through my CONTACT form.

I will be happy to talk to students in your school or library. Contact me through my website.

You can find me and other authors by clicking on this website:

Author by State

I am just in the editorial stages of my newest middle-grade book about Marshall, the shipwrecked Newfoundland dog. I have written about this subject in my picture book about Marshall, but this new one is for older children. Added to the longer text is back matter full of details about lifesaving on Nantucket in the 19th century and about the crew of the W. F. Marshall that wrecked in 1877.