The Anna Mei Series

The Year of the Dragon

2012-01-20T17:22:00.002-05:00

It’s January, and I’m celebrating the new year with someopportunities to spread the word about Anna Mei!

I’m starting with a return visit to an event hosted by Families with Children from China. Thelocal branch in my area throws an annual Chinese New Year Party for its members, and last yearthey invited me to come and talk about Cartoon Girl, the first title in theseries. I had a lot of fun and met some wonderful families, so I was delightedto be asked to come back this year. This time I’ll have all three titlesavailable.

And I predict that one more thing will be different—last year’s festivitiesincluded a petting zoo filled with baby bunnies, in honor of the Year of the Rabbit.Given that this is the Year of the Dragon, well, let’s just say I’d bepretty surprised to see a petting zoo!

Then on Saturday, Feb. 4, I’ll be participating in an event at a local library.It’s called Children’s Author Panel: The Path to Publication, and features fourauthors talking about how they went from aspiring to published. I’m thrilled tobe included on the panel along with Ruth McNally Barshaw (Ellie McDoodle), Deborah Diesen (The Pout-Pout Fish) and Amy Huntley (The Everafter). We'll each have a different story to tell about how we got started down this path. We'll be speaking from 1-2 p.m., with books available for sale and signing afterward. If you’ve everthought about being a writer, or even if you just love children’s books, come on out and see us!

"Raising the Flag"

2011-10-28T18:17:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Jaymie Wolfe, the editor for both Escape Artist and Blessing inDisguise, the Anna Mei series is currently featured on the publisher's "Storyline" blog. Here's a bit of what she has to say:

Anna Mei, CartoonGirl came outin the spring of 2010 accompanied by a lot of excitement, enthusiasm, and a bitof breath-holding. Why? Because for us, releasing this great book by CarolGrund was raising the flag for Pauline’s new venture into the world of themiddle grade novel. There couldn’t have been a better character to takeus all there!

Anna Mei, asixth–grade Chinese-born American family adoptee, is a completely relatableregular girl trying to make sense of the world and her place in it. Moving,making real friendships, and confronting those oh-so-uncomfortable moments thatmake up the daily existence of most twelve-year-olds, Anna Mei doesn’t so muchbring readers into her world, as she does fit right into the world they alreadylive in. It didn’t take us long to realize that Anna Mei Anderson had a lotmore to experience than could fit into just one book...(Find the complete post here)

It's been an amazing experience "raising the flag" for Pauline. And now that there are three books in the series, I'm excited to report that Jaymie and I have been working together on a new project. The details haven't been finalized yet, but I can disclose that Anna Mei will definitely make an appearance. And we certainly couldn't leave out Danny, who has plenty of his own fans!

As they say on TV, stay tuned...

September Brings a "Blessing"

2011-09-06T00:49:00.000-04:00

Although it’s hard to see summer come to an end, I always look forward to the pleasures of fall. For me this year’s pleasures areespecially welcome, as they include the arrival of the third book in the AnnaMei series: Blessing in Disguise.

In this follow up to Cartoon Girl and Escape Artist, AnnaMei Anderson has started 7^th grade. Although that means another newschool for her, she’s no longer the “new kid.” In fact, she’s pretty sure shehas everything figured out this time, with a group of good friends and a to-do list that includesjoining the Science Club. She’s even prepared to be friendly and helpful to KaiChen, whose family has just moved to town and whose father works with Anna Mei’sfather at the research lab.

But she hasn’t counted on how annoying Kai turns out to be. Orhow the more she gets to know him, the less sure she is about anything—including her feelings abouther family, her friends, even her own identity. Some things, it turns out,are a little more complicated than they seemed.

This chapter in Anna Mei’s journey toward self-awareness wasespecially challenging. I owe a huge debt of gratitude to my editor at PaulineKids, Jaymie Stuart Wolfe. An adoptivemother herself, Jaymie provided invaluable insight into the hearts and minds offamilies like the Andersons and the Chens. Her enthusiasm and guidance gave methe confidence to take Anna Mei’s story in this direction.

Once again the cover art was created by the talented Wayne Alfano. Mary Joseph Peterson, FSP, designed a great collage for the back cover, featuring maps, a compass, and a portrait of Anna Mei with her friends. It's fun to see all of them together for the first time!

I hope you'll enjoy Blessing in Disguise and appreciate the depth it adds to the series. It's available online now at Amazon.com,Barnes&Noble.com, and Pauline Books & Media. It’s on the shelf at Pauline bookstores across the U.S. and in Canada, as well as at Schuler Books inLansing, Michigan. Other bookstores will be stocking it soon.

If you’d like to order a signed copy, simply email me at contact@carolagrund.com, and I’ll replywith payment and shipping information.

I decided to end this post with a quote from Lucy Larcom, a 19^thcentury poet famous for her detailed account of early American childhood. It's appropriate because the book features a botany project as well as a life lesson that can only come from experience— sometimes, our biggest challenges turn out to be our greatest blessings.

"Like a plant that starts up in showers and sunshine, anddoes not know which has best helped it to grow, it is difficult to say whetherthe hard things or the pleasant things did me the most good."

Five Stars for "Escape Artist!"

2011-07-19T23:02:00.010-04:00

Good news! Anna Mei, Escape Artist—the second book in the middle-grade Anna Mei Series—has just received two five-star reviews:

The Midwest Book Review

Everyone has secrets, and sometimes that secret is all of your family. "Anna Mei, Escape Artist" is an entry into Carol A. Grund's series following Anna Mei as she faces life and learns many lessons. Anna has many friends, but Danny has proved peculiar to her, as Anna has never met any of his family. Anna fears that Danny is hiding something from her, but the truth comes and Anna learns much. "Anna Mei" is a fine read for young readers who are trying to branch into standard novels. Highly recommended.

Sarah Reinhard, The Snoring Scholar

What a delight to have my old friend Anna Mei back! I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed its predecessor, and I can't wait until my six-year-old, who has just discovered Junie B. Jones, is old enough for Anna Mei. In this, we're faced with more of the difficulties of friendship and discerning how to treat people, especially close friends who are hurting and confusing you. In the face of a big misunderstanding, Anna Mei finds herself battling feelings and learning to grow in interpersonal skills. (Can you tell I'm trying not to spoil it?) Maybe it’s that I’m a girl too, but I found myself, even with an adult perspective and quite a few years on the main character, sucked right into the drama of the book.

This is a great introduction for intermediate readers and a situation girls in this age will definitely enjoy. The lesson that’s taught doesn’t feel preachy and the way it’s told makes it worth reading. I enjoyed it, and I'll bet your intermediate reader will, too! Highly recommended.

I'm thrilled that both of these reviewers, who also liked Cartoon Girl, found this new story just as compelling. I'd love to hear from other readers, too. Send me an email and let me know what you think!

More good news this month: my short story titled "A Family Recipe" appears in a new anthology for ages 8-12 just published by Pauline Kids. Family Matters:Thirteen Short Stories was edited by Jaymie Wolfe, my editor on Escape Artist. She's done a great job selecting stories that reflect a broad range of families and the issues they deal with. Mine is about a girl named Allison and a unique gift that links several generations in her adoptive family. All the stories include discussion questions, making this a wonderful tool for classroom use. It's available at online bookstores like Amazon as well as at Pauline's site.

"Anna Mei" Fans Come Through

2011-05-31T15:17:00.016-04:00

I wanted to share some pictures from two recent book signings, both held at bookstores in my area. I admit that I'd had a couple of sleepless nights leading up to them, imagining myself sitting alone at a table, with nothing but untouched stacks of books for company.

But as always, my friends and family came through for me. They not only bought books, they stayed to chat and to ask about my upcoming projects. One especially wonderful moment came when I looked up and saw two of my college roommates smiling at me. We all live in different towns, so although we've been in touch, we hadn't seen each other for many years. I was just delighted that they took the time to come to the bookstore and support me (although I could kick myself for not getting a picture of the three of us—next time, ladies!).

Another friend and former co-worker traveled from out of town, bringing her little boy along. I hadn't seen Josh since the family moved away when he was a baby, and this fall he will be starting kindergarten! We had a great time catching up. Other friends and family came to buy books for their kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews. I also met a couple of young fans, including Isabelle, a student at the school where I recently made a presentation. She and her mom had seen the signings advertised in the paper and made a special trip to come and get some books.

So in the end I never had to sit at a table all alone, arranging books into artistic piles and counting my bookmarks over and over. Books were sold, laughter was shared, many hugs were exchanged. What a blessing to have so many special people in my life, including the new friends my little Anna Mei has made for me. Many thanks to all of you, and to Whitney at Schuler Books and Jamie at Bestsellers, who hosted and promoted the events. Maybe we'll all touch base again in the fall, to celebrate Book 3!

Upcoming Book Signings

2011-04-24T11:20:00.007-04:00

I'm happy to announce that I'll be doing book signings of both Cartoon Girl and Escape Artist at Lansing, MI area bookstores in May.

Find me at Schuler Books & Music in Eastwood Towne Center from 2-3:30 pm on Saturday, May 7, and at Bestsellers Books & Coffee Company from 2-4 pm on Saturday, May 14. I'd love to see you there!

A Room Full of Inspiration

2011-04-09T15:08:00.000-04:00

In schools and libraries across the country, March is celebrated as "Reading Month," a time to focus on reading as a fun activity that helps foster a lifelong love of learning. A few weeks ago I was privileged to be invited to a local elementary school to make a presentation about reading and writing.

The K-4 students had been doing special activities and tracking their reading time all month long, earning one "mile" for each minute of reading. I was impressed to learn that they had collectively logged 79,000 miles in only four weeks. As the reading specialist explained, that's more than three times around the equator!

I was prepared but nervous as the kids started to file in. What if I couldn't hold their interest with my story about being a "writer" ever since I was their age? That thought was still in my head when a group of third graders marched in, proudly carrying a large plastic jar which they plunked down on the table in front of me. It was filled with pieces of food in various stages of decay, from just a little green around the edges to being completely covered in white fuzz.

"Do you know what this is?" the teacher asked me as the students gathered around, grinning in anticipation. Know it? I'd imagined it about a hundred times--I would have recognized that jar anywhere.

"It's the mold terrarium from the book!" I said, just as excited as they were. Not only had they done the science experiment described in Cartoon Girl, they had brought it to show me. I told them I'd never seen such beautiful mold.

After that, talking about my journey from grade school student to published author was easy. The kids, many of whom had read Cartoon Girl or one of my short stories, listened attentively and asked great questions. They especially seemed to enjoy seeing some of my original drafts, with words, paragraphs, even whole pages crossed out as I worked to revise and sharpen my stories, trying to make them sparkle. In the end I explained that if they loved to read and write the way I did, they could find ways to keep doing that their whole lives.

Later I received an envelope filled with thank you notes from some of the students. A boy named Evan wrote, "I learned to never give up on your goal no matter it is." Chloe's note said, "My birthday is coming up soon and the Anna Mei stories are now at the top of my wish list!" And a girl named Tanya shared this: "I learned that you can have dreams and they can come true."

Reading those notes, I realized that my visit had been as inspiring for me as I hoped it would be for them. So thank you, students and teachers at Donley, for the warm welcome and all your enthusiasm. Whenever I think about dreams
coming true, I'll think of the lovely notes you sent, and all your smiling faces, and a jar full of beautiful green mold.

"Escape Artist" Arrives!

2011-03-22T17:58:00.001-04:00

I'm happy to announce that Escape Artist, the second title in the "Anna Mei" series for middle grade readers, is now officially available! The continuing story of Anna Mei Anderson takes place during the summer between sixth and seventh grades. It's about the deepening of her new friendships, but also about how friendships are tested. What do you do when someone you care about is in trouble, and you suddenly feel like you're in over your head? Find out what Anna Mei does when she unexpectedly finds herself in this situation.

You can read the first chapter at the Pauline Books & Media website. My editor also wrote an article about it for their quarterly magazine. The book is available for online purchase ($8.95) through the publisher or at Amazon. It's also on the shelf at any of Pauline's bookstores, as well as some bookstores in mid-Michigan.

I'm still working out details for a public book signing next month and will be sure to post them as soon as they are available.

I can't wait to hear what you think of Anna Mei's adventures in Escape Artist. Please feel free to email me your comments, and if you'd like to write a review, I will bless you forever and also post it here. How can you pass up a deal like that?

Many thanks for all the encouragement you've sent my way over the past year as I worked to bring Anna Mei's story to life. To have people actually waiting for one of my books to come out is an unexpected and amazing delight!

Happy New Year, Chinese-style!

2011-03-04T22:06:00.000-05:00

In February I was invited to sign copies of Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl at a Chinese New Year Party. This annual event is hosted by the local branch of an organization called Families with Children from China.

What a wonderful group of parents and children! Most of the kids were girls adopted from China, ranging in age from 18 months up to about fourteen. They seemed excited to see a book cover featuring a character that looked like them--according to some of the parents I talked to, that is a rare experience. Many of the girls wore traditional Chinese clothing. They looked just beautiful in their brightly colored and embroidered silk outfits.

After sharing a potluck dinner, we were treated to live music from a young Chinese opera singer. The girls enjoyed making crafts and playing with the live rabbits who were honored guests, since this is the Year of the Rabbit in the Chinese calendar. Then they joined together to don a dragon costume and parade around the room with noisemakers. Finally the girls were invited to participate in what the organizers called "faux fireworks." Since we were inside a church hall, I couldn't imagine what this could be, short of all of us gathering around a TV to watch a fireworks DVD. The actual event turned out to be so much more fun than that! First the adults laid out long strips of bubble wrap on the floor. The girls, holding fiber-optic flashlights, lined up on both sides. Then someone turned off the lights, someone else yelled "Go!," and suddenly the hall was filled with the pop and crackle of hundreds of tiny "fireworks." The girls laughed and jumped and waved their flashlights until the very last bubble had burst. It was the cutest thing I ever saw, and that includes the bunnies!

I had a great time and am so delighted to have been invited to the party. Many thanks to Janelle and Jo Marie from the FCC, to all the parents who stopped to chat with me about their cherished daughters, and especially to the girls themselves, whose bright eyes and happy smiles reminded me why I wrote a story about a girl named Anna Mei in the first place.

Almost Time to "Escape"

2011-01-26T00:40:00.000-05:00

I just learned from my publisher's marketing department that the next book in the Anna Mei series will make its official debut on March 15, 2011.

And here is the cover art, created once again by illustrator Wayne Alfano! Since the story takes place during Anna Mei’s first summer in Michigan, the setting is the nature center near her house. I love how bright and sunny and colorful it is. But even though the sun is shining on this particular day, there are definitely clouds on the horizon for Anna Mei. Before the summer is over, everything she thinks she knows about friendship will be put to the test.

Here's another sneak peek, courtesy of the book trailer created by Pauline Books & Media:
.

The book will be available at Amazon, Pauline Books and other online stores, as well as bookstores in the Lansing/Jackson, Michigan area. I plan to schedule a couple of book signings in the spring and will post the details here, along with information for anyone who’d like to order a signed copy by mail. It's so great that my little Anna Mei already has fans!

A few months ago, I was interviewed by a reporter from the local paper. She did a great job summarizing all the information I gave her about my work. You can read the full article here.

As a result of that article, I received an invitation to a Chinese New Year party! The local chapter of Families with Children from China has asked me to come and talk about the books and sign copies of Cartoon Girl. I’m looking forward to sharing in their celebration, which includes food, tea, a dragon dance and even some rabbits, in honor of the Year of the Rabbit. I'll post pictures here because really, who doesn't want want to see a bunch of cute, fluffy bunnies?

Anna Mei...Part 2!

2010-09-18T14:38:00.000-04:00

I’m excited to announce that the sequel to Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl is on track for its scheduled February 2011 release date. The publisher has commissioned illustrator Wayne Alfano, who did such a great job on the first book, to do the cover art. And the official title is (drumroll, please) Anna Mei, Escape Artist.

The word “artist” relates the new book to Cartoon Girl, and pairing it with “escape” is a clue to an important theme. I hesitate to say more than that, at least without posting a big “spoiler” warning first. Writing a synopsis that’s enticing but doesn’t give away too much of the plot is challenging enough. But writing one for a sequel is even harder—you can’t give away what happened in the first book, either!

Here’s what I’ve come up with that I hope will whet your appetite without spoiling it:

With sixth-grade graduation behind her, it's time for Anna Mei Anderson to spend her first summer in Michigan. Her plans include visits to the science museum and nature center, a week at volleyball camp, and plenty of time to just hang out. Not in the plan? All the hurdles that threaten to ruin her summer, including the ones that challenge her relationship with both family and friends. In this follow-up to Cartoon Girl, Anna Mei will need to re-examine everything she thinks she knows about friendship.

Escape Artist has been registered with the Library of Congress and will be assigned its ISBN (International Standard Book Number) soon. For now my work is done—it’s time to let this story go and move on to the third one. But it’s nice to know that I can always click here to remind myself of the promise of things to come.

Worth a Thousand Words

2010-08-09T00:53:00.000-04:00

Completing a full-length middle-grade novel was challenging and fulfilling. Having it published was a dream come true. But knowing that actual kids are reading and enjoying the book brings the experience to a whole different level.

The picture above was sent to me by Sr. Donna, the moderator of a brand new book club in California. After reading Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl herself, she was inspired to start a discussion group for girls in her community. Six girls came together for a “getting acquainted” meeting, where they all agreed to read Anna Mei and then come back the next week to talk about it. At Sr. Donna’s suggestion, I created and posted a list of suggested topics to use as a springboard for the discussion.

She later emailed to tell me that the group enjoyed a lively and interesting meeting: “They all found Anna Mei's story realistic and relatable, especially when it came to the awkwardness she experiences at school and her reluctance to have her parents meet her friends. They also liked how her faith supported her in the quest of becoming true to herself…”

For their third meeting, the girls decided they wanted to do their own heritage projects, inspired by the assignment Ms. Wagner gives the kids in the book!

For as long as I can remember, reading has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. So I truly appreciate Sr. Donna’s efforts to encourage kids not only to read but to enrich their reading by sharing it. And to the members of the best book club ever—Sarah, Brittany, Ashley, Marina, Kelsey, Brooke and Beatriz—I’m just thrilled that you all found something in Anna Mei that had meaning for you at this particular time in your lives. Believe me, that picture of you holding my book will be a treasured memento of a very special time in mine!

Bright Shining Faces

2010-08-08T23:22:00.000-04:00

My beautiful niece Ana

Soon after Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl was published, I got an invitation any writer would envy—I was asked to make a presentation at my nieces' school in upstate New York. It seems that once their teachers learned that Mel (age 12) and Ana (age 8) had helped inspire a book, they started reading it aloud in their classrooms. Then they asked if I would come and talk to the kids about writing.

It was my first time doing a school presentation, so I was pretty nervous. And because I was still busy working on the manuscript for the sequel, I didn’t have as much time as I would have liked to prepare. Even more nerve-wracking—the school had invited a reporter and photographer from the local paper to cover the event!

I’d just set up my display board and answered a few of the reporter’s questions when the students started filing into the room. The butterflies that had been flitting idly around in my stomach started beating their wings in a wild dance. I felt exactly the way Anna Mei did when she had to present her heritage report to the kids in room 117!

But like my young character, I found that the anticipation was much worse than the experience. The staff was warm and welcoming. The reporter stayed unobtrusively in the background, and the kids…well, the kids were amazing. They had a lot of great questions about writing in general and about Anna Mei in particular.

One of the best moments came when I mentioned the two short stories I’d written in a collection called Friend 2 Friend. Hands shot up all over the room. It turns out that the teachers had read those stories to them, so I was able to ask questions like “What happened next?” and “What would you have done?” Talking about my stories with a group of kids who have already read and enjoyed them is like the sweetest frosting on top of an already delicious cake.

Later I had a chance to talk with some of the students at a reception at my nieces’ house. Some were outgoing, others were shy; some wanted to have their pictures taken with me, just like I do whenever a visiting author comes to a bookstore or library near me. Some confided that they hoped to be writers themselves. I told them I looked forward to getting their signatures in their books someday.

2nd grade teacher Mrs. Smith

As a wonderful souvenier, I brought home thank-you cards from the kids. Baylor wrote, "You inspired me to be a poet. I like your poem Sandcastle!" "Thank you for coming to our school," Stephen's note says. "Now I want to write a book too! I even have the title—Fish and Cookie Picnic Day." Then there's this comment from Sé: "Thank you for being so nice and telling us how to make a book, and making my mind bigger." To which I can only say, "Thank all of you for being so nice, and making my heart bigger."

Time to Party!

2010-06-12T22:32:00.000-04:00

Although the book made its official debut in April, the real celebration took place on Saturday, May 22. That’s when family, friends and coworkers gathered at a book launch party to celebrate the publication of Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl.

The two-hour event was held in the community room at a local library. We decorated the room in bright blue to match the book cover, adding punches of Chinese red. A highlight was a beautiful, full-color poster of the cover, generously provided by the marketing department at Pauline Books (thanks, Sally!).

The book cover also found its way onto the dessert table, where it was featured on a cake with this message: Congratulations—It’s a book! Along with a variety of fruit and sweets, guests sampled a recipe straight out of the pages of Anna Mei—her grandmother Anna’s Danish spice cookies (Krydderikager).

A tabletop display traced my writing journey from 'Notebook Scribbler' to 'Published Author,' while the Anna Mei book trailer and interview played on a nearby TV.

Kids of all ages enjoyed a craft table that featured Chinese dragons and masks, and guests were encouraged to enter a raffle for a P.F. Chang's gift certificate. The winners were Andrew and Linda from Lansing, which seemed like good karma since they came to my party even though it was Andrew's birthday!

It was a thrill to talk with so many friends, all gathered in one place. I even met friends of friends who had stopped by to "meet the author." I signed a lot of books and one napkin, which my five-year-old nephew thinks will be pretty valuable some day.

After listening to a short reading

and a few heartfelt remarks, guests left the party with their signed books and party favors—colorful Chinese money bags stuffed with candy and fortune cookies.

A celebration like this would not have been possible if I’d had to do it alone. Luckily I'm blessed with generous family and friends, and I hope readers will indulge me for a moment while I acknowledge them. Both of my sisters contributed desserts and helped serve them.

My friend Donna spent many hours prepping the crafts. My friend Mark helped plan the whole event and was there from set-up to tear-down, as accomplished, creative and cheerful a support system as anyone could hope for.

My parents arranged for a special toast in my honor. My son David traveled from Chicago to be there for the party, then stayed up late to help stuff dozens of goodie bags. His friends MaryAnn and Peter stayed all day, doing whatever needed to be done..

True to form, my husband Jim provided unwavering enthusiasm and support—not only for this party, not only for this project, but for always. Despite being paid to be a writer, I simply have no words when it comes to thanking him.

Finally, many thanks to everyone who took the time to come and celebrate with me—you helped made this a day I'll never forget.

Here's a short clip of the signing and closing remarks:.

Five Stars for "Anna Mei!"

2010-05-18T22:06:00.000-04:00

It's been about six weeks since Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl was released by Pauline Kids, an imprint of Pauline Books & Media. The response has been wonderful so far--traffic to my website is way up, with people checking in from New York to California (sounds like a folk song, doesn't it?)

The story seems to be striking a chord with adults and kids alike. A twelve year-old girl wrote to say "I loved your book!", and the mother of an adopted daughter expressed her appreciation for a story that "may open up conversations that are often difficult to begin. As the population of young girls adopted from China matures, it's nice to have a book out that deals with some of the issues they face having dark hair, dark eyes in a sea of blond girls with blue eyes."

And how about this for a compliment: "I am impressed with the author's ability to get some very good, basic, value concepts across without being 'preachy.' I was toward the end of the book at breakfast and ended up being late for work"!

Over the past weeks I've learned that teachers are reading Anna Mei to their students. Adults are buying it for their kids or their nieces and nephews. Librarians have asked how to order it for their libraries. A few have even asked if I would consider talking to their students in person. It's so gratifying to know that people are embracing my little character and her story of identity lost and found.

A high point has been a review from the Midwest Book Review, a group that has been rating children's books since 1976. They recently gave Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl their highest rating:

5 out of 5 stars -A top pick for middle school fiction readers
Trying to fit in is the goal of any new kid, and some go to untold lengths. "Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl" tells the tale of Anna Mei who is trying to fit into her sixth grade class, as the child of an adoptive family. Fearing being an outcast, she manufactures herself a personality, only to find that reality will keep up with her and being herself is hard after trying not to for so long. "Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl" is a top pick for middle school fiction readers.

Another highlight has been seeing a series of pictures my son took in Chicago, where a PBM bookstore is featuring Anna Mei in its window and on its shelves. It's so much fun to see the characters come to life right there on Michigan Avenue!

Many, many thanks to all of you who have let me know that you enjoyed the book or are looking forward to reading it. I've gotten so many notes and phone calls offering congratulations and good wishes. Special thanks to those who have passed the book on to people in their lives who can share it with a wider audience. It doesn't help to be a writer when your feelings of gratitude are so completely, overwhelmingly... inexpressable!

Meanwhile, work on the sequel continues under the guidance of a new editor at PBM. I'm excited to see what she will bring to the project and hope people will be interested in the continuing story of Anna Mei. So if all goes well, I'll get to do this all over again next year!

The Debut of Miss Anna Mei

2010-04-01T06:54:00.000-04:00

"Carol Grund nimbly weaves the threads of Anna Mei’s life into a story that is smoothly paced, quietly comforting, and pleasing to the soul. There are no heavy handed life lessons here... She manages to break down the chaos that is the tween years and gently instill little life lessons in manageable bits, just right for a satisfying read."

—Book review at ReadItAgainMom

It may be April 1st but this is no April Fool's joke—starting today, my novel for ages 8-12 goes on sale! It's just been published by Pauline Kids, an imprint of Pauline Books & Media.

Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl is a story for anyone who has ever worried about fitting in. Sixth-grader Anna Mei Anderson is not only the new kid at school—she's the new kid with a weird name, an adoptive family she doesn’t remotely resemble, and an unknown birth mother somewhere back in China. She figures she'd better get busy changing into someone a little less…unusual. It may not be honest but it seems a lot safer. Then a school project comes along that makes Anna Mei think about herself, her friends, her family—and that weird name of hers—in a whole new way.

Take a look at the promotional video, featuring cover art by Wayne Alfano:

Anna Mei, Cartoon Girl is currently being featured on PBM's website. Read the first chapter by clicking on the book cover.

I’m delighted that it's found a home at PBM, a publisher whose name is synonymous with wholesome, quality literature. It's part of their new line of middle grade novels featuring kids who face real world challenges as they struggle to stay true to their faith and values. Two sequels have already been scheduled for 2011.

The book is for sale at their online bookstore as well as Amazon and Barnes&Noble. It's also on the shelves at all PBM bookstores in the U.S. and Canada, including Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, San Diego, Miami, Toronto and more. It will soon be available at mid-Michigan booksellers, including Schuler Books & Music, Tuesday Books and Bestsellers. Check back here for details about where and when. Also coming soon to this site—reviews, teacher guides and fun stuff for kids!

Sweet, Simple Things

Many, many thanks to all of you who have followed Anna Mei's journey from desk drawer to publication by reading my Sweet, Simple Things blog. I'm overwhelmed by all the support and good wishes you've sent my way over the past year. I will continue to post at Sweet, Simple Things and look forward to sharing many more of life's blessings with you.