Valerie Hobbs

Minnie McClary Speaks Her Mind Valerie Hobbs

Marc Notes: When quiet sixth-grader Minnie gets a new language arts teacher who makes her think and ask hard questions, she is inspired to stand up for what she believes in.;610; Lexile. Biographical Note: Valerie Hobbs is the recipient of the 1999 PEN/Norma Klein Award, a biennial prize that recognizes "an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children's fiction." She is the author of young adult and middle-grade novels including "Sheep," "Defiance," "Anything but Ordinary," and "The Last Best Days of Summer." She holds a B. A. and an M. A. in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she has taught academic writing. Valerie lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband. Brief Description: When quiet sixth-grader Minnie gets a new language arts teacher who makes her think and ask hard questions, she is inspired to stand up for what she believes in. Review Quotes: "Fans of Claudia Mills' thoughtful and sometimes anxious protagonists will definitely take to Minnie and appreciate her widening understanding." --"The""Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books""Readers will cheer this protagonist on as she finds her voice--and perhaps be inspired to make their own voices heard." --"School Library Journal"Publisher Marketing: Minnie McClary is the new girl and knows that she doesn't quite fit in, especially not after she lost it one day in language arts. In art, Minnie has to paint a self portrait--but how can she do this when she doesn't even know who she is anymore? Things aren't great at home, either. Her uncle Bill is building a huge replica of the Apache helicopter he flew in Iraq, and her father has blown some sort of whistle and has to start over in a new job. Then Miss Marks takes over Minnie's language class and encourages students to think critically about everything. They write their thoughts and questions in journals, marking the most private entries For Your Eyes Only. Minnie and her classmate Amira are inspired, but some people in town wonder why Miss Marks is encouraging students to ask these questions and just what, exactly, she's teaching. When a group of angry parents demands Miss Marks's suspension, Minnie finds herself asking a lot of questions--and figuring out what she has the power to change. Review Citations: Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2012 (EAN 9780374349783, Open Ebook) School Library Journal 11/01/2012 pg. 60 (EAN 9780449010365, Compact Disc) Publishers Weekly 11/26/2012 (EAN 9780449010341, Compact Disc) Shelf Awareness 08/17/2012 (EAN 9780374324964, Hardcover) Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001 (EAN 9780374324964, Hardcover) Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 12/01/2012 (EAN 9780374324964, Hardcover) School Library Journal 01/01/2013 pg. 110 (EAN 9780374324964, Hardcover) Hornbook Guide to Children 01/01/2013 pg. 72 (EAN 9780374324964, Hardcover) Bookpage 08/01/2012 (EAN 9780374324964, Hardcover) Contributor Bio:  Hobbs, Valerie Valerie Hobbs is the recipient of the 1999 PEN/Norma Klein Award, a biennial prize that recognizes "an emerging voice of literary merit among American writers of children's fiction." She is the author of young adult and middle-grade novels including "Sheep", "Defiance", "Anything but Ordinary", and "The Last Best Days of Summer". She holds a B. A. and an M. A. in English from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she has taught academic writing. Valerie lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her husband.