"BookMarks" What's New in the Life and Career of Marcia
Thornton Jones
Best-Selling Children's Author Spring/Summer
2010
Below are three videos presenting my NEW book
Ratfink (Dutton), NEW
series Keyholders (Tor)
and NEW book Champ
(Scholastic). ENJOY!!
(Please wait for the
video player to load, then click the Play button.)
Logan has troubles. A humiliating
photo. An embarrassing grandfather. A mysterious backpack. Experimental dog
poop?! And...Emily (the Snot) Scott. What more could possibly go wrong? Everything!!
Poor Logan. He always seems to be getting into trouble.
Fifth grade will be different. That is until Grandpa moves in. Grandpa is
becoming more and more forgetful and Logan doesn’t want him doing
embarrassing thingsespecially in front of his friends. He doesn’t want his
parents to send Grandpa away either. Then there is Emily Scott. She’s had it
in for Logan since the first day of school. She is trying to set him up so he
looks like he turned ratfink on his best friend, Malik. And when Emily
produces an embarrassing photo of Logan, will he really turn “ratfink” to
preserve his reputation and save Grandpa?
KEYHOLDERS
(Tor)
Three kids, a dragon, a
unicorn, and rat discover they are the Keyholders to a magical realm!
A Keyholder's job is to guard the border between the real world and the magical
world. Penny and Luke aren't sure they even want to be
apprentice Keyholders. But, when they meet their "links" -
magical helpers from the other side of the border - they change their
minds. And just in time! The evil Queen of the Boggarts is
determined to invade Penny & Luke's world... and only the Keyholders and their links can stop her!
#1 - #4
Champ
(Scholastic)
Riley is awful at sports
- especially baseball - and he's ready to quit the team. But his
dad's motto is "nobody likes a quitter," and he won't let Riley
give up. So when one bad swing brings a three-legged dog into his life,
Riley feels like he's been thrown a curveball. How can he take of a
dog and make his dad proud? Champ is a former champion show dog. But when the
accident that leaves him with Riley also leaves him with three legs, this
dog has to learn some new tricks. Can Champ show Riley that winning
doesn't always mean coming in first? Together, Riley and Champ make a great team. But
they stand to lose more at the Founders Day Dog Show than a blue
ribbon. Could they be separated forever? Riley only knows one thing for sure -- this time
quitting is NOT an option.
Each class at Addaville Elementary in Ohio prepared for my author visit by
dressing as their favorite characters. I saw students dressed as leprechauns,
pirates, football-boogeymen, and even readers covered in polka-dots! Check out
the pink-sunglasses-wearing pirates in Miss Donna Crum's second grade! That
giant book cover was made by Mrs. Melody Shupe. What a great way for kids to
really get 'into' my books! After talking to the students I signed lots of books
including my new KEYHOLDER series titles, THIS SIDE OF MAGIC and THE OTHER SIDE
OF MAGIC. Thanks to Leanna Martin for organizing a fantastic Author Visit!
Marcia (left) at a Joseph-Beth Booksellers
speaking/signing
with writer-friends Martha Stiles and J.D. Lester!
What if...
What if are the two most powerful words for writers because you can build an
entire story using them.
What if cats were actually spies from another planet?
What if the school bully found out the really really horrible secret
you've been keeping?
What if a tornado caused the evacuation of a school during an author
presentation...
Oh, wait. That last one really DID happen!
Every school I visit is a great experience, but I truly had a unique experience
while speaking to a group of awesome readers in Mississippi this spring. We were
right in the middle of 'what-iffing' story ideas when severe weather approached
the area and the entire campus was evacuated to a more secure location. Now THAT
was an exciting experience, but I had the pleasure of getting to know some of
the great kids and teachers while we waited out the storm. The good news:
everyone was safe and sound. I just wish we would've had more time for that
'what-iffing'!
Of course, this is the season for rain. But I like rainy days. They're perfect
for staying inside and playing with story ideas. Rainy days are also great
reading days. In fact, you might want to check out THIS SIDE OF MAGIC and THE
OTHER SIDE OF MAGIC, the first two titles in my new KEYHOLDERS series. The
series features a magical cat that looks suspiciously like my very own cat,
CocoMo! Who, this very second, is bopping my arm, letting me know it's time for
treats. Better go. She doesn't like to wait!
Have a story-filled Spring!
Happy Reading and Writing! Marcia
Thornton Jones
