laurie halse anderson

Earlier this week, Len and I headed over to Tysons Corner Mall in McLean, Virginia.

Laurie Halse Anderson was in town, promoting Chains (Simon & Schuster, 2008), which was recently named a National Book Awards Finalist!

She gave a little talk before her signing, condensing 35 years of her life in 30 minutes, touching on her writing process and inspiration for both her Young Adult and historical fiction novels. Then she graciously answered questions and basically wowed everyone with her enthusiasm, energy, and deep, deep commitment to telling our nation’s story, and opening up a dialogue about difficult or painful topics.

It was pretty surreal to meet someone in person whom you only "know" online. Laurie was only the second writer/blogger I’ve actually seen in the flesh (Sara Lewis Holmes was the first). Way cool!

Hopelessly out-of-focus shot compliments of Len.

Check out Laurie’s tour schedule to see if she’ll be rolling into a town near you, and don’t forget to read Chains!

Three million ginormous cheers for the one and only Laurie Halse Anderson! Her brand new middle grade historical novel, Chains (Simon & Schuster, 2008), is officially out today!!

         CHAINS by Laurie Halse Anderson
          (Simon & Schuster, 2008), ages 9-12, 320 pp.

As I’m sure you’ve heard, last week Chains was named a Finalist for the 2008 National Book Awards. Woo hoo! This prestigious honor comes on the heels of glowing, positively sizzling starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, in addition to unbridled praise and enthusiasm from blog reviewers, such as Betsy Bird ( aka, Fuse 8, blogging at School Library Journal) and prolific author Kate Messner .

In the spring of 1776, as the American Revolution is just beginning, thirteen-year-old Isabel and her younger sister Ruth, two slave girls who were supposed to be freed upon the death of their owner, are instead sold to the Locktons, a Loyalist couple in New York. Isabel then meets Curzon, a slave who offers her the chance to help the Patriot cause by spying on the Locktons. What unspeakable thing happens to Ruth? Where should Isabel’s loyalty lie now? What will she do to fight for her own freedom?

Publishers Weekly says:

Anderson (Speak; Fever 1793) packs so much detail into her evocation of wartime New York City that readers will see the turmoil and confusion of the times, and her solidly researched exploration of British and Patriot treatment of slaves during a war for freedom is nuanced and evenhanded, presented in service of a fast-moving, emotionally involving plot.

Laurie begins a 27-city tour in support of Chains today. Read about it and her reactions to all the accolades on her blog.

And to top everything off, her birthday is this Thursday, October 23rd! Happy Birthday, Laurie!

You can see we have LOTS to celebrate today. Better grab your biggest spoon, slurp extra hearty, and join me in cheering for Laurie in your loudest voice!