Rotten Samurai News

It's been a good couple of weeks for Something Rotten and Samurai Shortstop here at Gratz Industries. First, the mail brought copies of the Rotten audio, produced by Listening Library. It's a fun listen, as we found when we put it in for a drive down to Asheville recently. Jo even enjoyed it; I turned it off after the first chapter, thinking she wouldn't really be following it, and she asked to keep listening to see who killed Hamilton's daddy! Later she fell asleep, which I won't take too personally.

The same day I got a package from editor Liz--advance copies of the Samurai Shortstop paperback due out this February! They kept the same great cover, but the spine is black, which I think looks great.


And this week, both books won national acclaim from YALSA, the Young Adult Library Services Association! First, the Samurai Shortstop audio (also by Listening Library) was named to the 2008 YALSA "Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults" list. The same day, Something Rotten was named to the 2008 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list!

Thanks once again to the librarians of America for showing me and my books the love. Right back at you!