Letter from Author for Teen Reviewer
Purple Daze is one of the titles that Bookmarked, the library book group, received as an advanced reader's copy to review for YALSA's Teen's Top Ten (TTT). Brenna Gourgeot read the book and reviewed it. Like all the other reviews, I sent it off to the publisher. If a student recommends a book for TTT, then the title and author is listed on a spreadsheet. Eventually, those nominated titles are collated into a list of 25 titles that teens all over the country can select as their fav. Every review good or bad is sent to the publishers. It seems that the publishers send many of the reviews on to the authors.
This is what Brenna had to say about the book,
" Amid drugs, sex, war, and sacrifice, Purple Haze echoes the current generation of teens. Readers explore the loss of family and friends to the Vietnam War and the politics that surround Vietnam as well. Poems, free-written prose, letters, and newspaper articles express what it was like living in the counterculture of the 1960’s."
AND
"When people think of the 60’s, they think of Woodstock and great gatherings of free-spirited peoples—and lets not forget vibrant colors. The cover expresses all that and more with what looks like an adolescent girl losing herself in something we cannot tell."
The other day I got a wonderful card in the mail from the author of Purple Daze, Sherry Shahan.
This is the cover of her handmade card:
Monique P from Montreal writing to say I agree with Sherry Shahan -- those lines from Brenna's review are intelligent and insightful -- and they make me want to read Sherry's book! Brenna, in case you're reading this, maybe it's time for YOU to get started on writing a book. Or have you already begun? Best wishes from snowy Montreal. And three cheers for librarians like Elizabeth who do cool stuff like write this blog.
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